The Phoenix King
by TurtleHaus
Summary: Smolder has journeyed into the Void to help the mysterious Mira take back the Castle of Naught from Dark King Null; host to the Storm that devours all traces of life. Twilight and friends are racing to find out more about the Void while Smolder discovers the fate of his mother, learns to wield his unruly magic, rages against a storm in his heart, and stands against an ancient evil.
1. Chapter 1: Flashbacks and Backpacks

**_In the time before the Void, there were three otherworldly beings known as the Eternal Masters. Their names were Zenith, Nadir, and Azimuth; the Guardians of the Naught. Giants compared to ponies, the Eternal Masters were the first of their kind, beings that existed outside the strands of time and space; silently observing the universe from the dark. The Eternal Masters watched the universe take form, light twinkled from the darkness, and the darkness was no more than a backdrop to a mystery unlike any other; life._**

* * *

Across the fields of Ouroboros, countless inhabitants of the Void trudged slowly towards the Castle of Naught. Mira pulled on her fingers, nervously following the horde towards the castle, fear slowly consuming her. Her blue stands of hair trickled through the air behind her, defying gravity, as she folded her arms to cover the light green pulse of her tattoos. Glancing around, it was obvious that Mira was the only one of her kind left to make this march. For her species was known as the Arcana, the smallest and most magical of the Void creatures. The Arcana were the second of Azimuth's creations, small nymphs made to resemble her, giving them the gift of light and magic.

Mira stumbled forward, the uneven ground causing her to lose balance, and falling against the tall creature in front of her. Large yellow eyes, hidden beneath a darkened cloak looked down at her, Mira stepped back carefully before continuing to march. The creature was one of many known as the Void Walkers. At a time, the Void Walkers were the dominant form of life in the Void, but their numbers dwindled to less than a few hundred since the appearance of the Void. They were the third generation of beings brought to life by Azimuth, created to protect the Arcana, and made in the image of Zenith.

The road to the Castle of Naught snaked its way up a steep cliff, Mira did her best not to make eye contact with any other creature; deep down she knew it was her turn. The creatures of the Void set off up the road, Mira struggling to make the climb, when a sudden shadow emerged from the ground before her. The shadow crawled upon the ground, silent, clouds of darkness streaming form it before disappearing once more. Mira looked about to see intermixed with the Void Walkers were the Echoes, darkness acting like ghosts, none that walk the Void knew of their origins. The Echoes had wandered aimlessly since the creation of the Arcana. Many believe the Echoes to be the remnants of the first generation of creatures made by Azimuth, before Nadir attempted to change them; resulting in the shadows now. The Echoes would stagger silently across the fields, disappearing without cause, and reappearing without justification; just memories of long forgotten mistakes.

With time, Mira had made it to the doors of Castle Naught. The mass of Void creatures gathered outside the doors, standing silently, staring at the ground before them. After a few moments, the doors of Castle Naught creaked open, allowing the creatures to enter. Mira followed the horde into the castle, or at least what was left of it. The front of Castle Naught would suggest a grand magnificence beyond its door, but the castle was razed to the ground; leaving not but a jutted cliff's edge stretching out over the darkness. Halfway into the ruined castle, all the creatures slowed to a stop before kneeling to the emptiness that lay before them. Mira was on both her knees, hands pressed against the floor, head lowered, she could feel herself shaking out of fear.

From the darkness a figure dissolved into view, stepping onto the edge of the jutted cliff edge, and silently walking towards the Void creatures. The being was half the size of any Void Walker, its body was anthropomorphic, draped in a cloak resembling that of a Void Walker, but wore a mask. A mask that shaped to its head, devoid of any features except that it looked like it had pieced back together from being smashed into hundreds of pieces. Its arms and legs were like hollow shells, each movement broke small bits of husk that floated away before reappearing onto his shell once more. It was believed that this was the first of the Void creatures, or what was left of it, and its name was Null. She could feel the emptiness that surrounded it, the dark despair that swirled within it, and she could see Null's feet stop a few steps in front of her. Slowly, Mira lifted her head to look at the shattered mask that vacantly stared down at her.

"Did you find the Flame Pony?" Null asked in a rasp.

"N-N-N-No-But I swear I'm close! Just give me a few more days and I will find-"

Null struck Mira across the face with the back of its hand, stopping her from finishing her plea. Watching her raise her hands over her head to protect herself from another hit, but Null had stopped there. Mira cautiously picked herself back up, lowering her head to Null once more, feeling her whole body shake with fear.

With a snap of its husk like fingers, two dark portals appeared behind Null, bringing forth two creatures that resembled Arcana. Mira made a move to approach them but Null pointed it at her for her to stay. Mira watched as the red haired Arcana named Tier, and the purple haired Arcana name Penn, coughed and wheezed upon the ground. Adorned with similar tattoos, Tier's and Penn's were pulsing very dimly, and the color in their hair was beginning to fade.

"Please..." Mira whispered putting her hands together, begging to Null.

"Choose." Null replied in a rasp.

"No… please. I can't." Mira pleaded, lowering her head to Null.

"Choose. Now." Null said again.

"I'll get you the Flame Pony, please, I just need more time." Mira begged, almost moved to tears.

Null raised his hand towards a Void Walker beside her, the Storm erupted from beneath his cloak, viciously tearing into the Void Walker, tearing his cloak apart, the screeches of the Walker and the Storm filled the air before, and there was silence. Mira was shaking, staring wide eyed at the dust that remained of the Void Walker beside her. Null's husk like finger touched her chin, turning her head back towards its shattered mask.

"Choose." Null said once more.

Mira looked over Null's shoulder at the Tier and Penn, tearing rolling down her face, unable to pick between either of them. Tier rolled up into a fetal position, while Penn was doubled over breathing heavy, staring back at Mira. Penn nodded his head slowly to her, which only made Mira begin to sob. Slowly pointing towards Penn, Null turned around to face the red haired Penn. Walking over to Penn; Null took hold of him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

The Storm once more erupted from Null's arm, engulfing Penn in cloud of darkness, the soft glow of his red hair faded quickly. His shrieks filled the air, before a heart dropping silence followed and the Storm retreated back into Null's body. Mira was quietly sobbing to herself, covering her face, and refusing to look at Null. With a snap of its fingers, Tier was sucked back into a dark portal, as Null approached Mira once more.

"Bring me the Flame Pony." Null commanded.

"Yes, Master." Mira said through sobs.

"Now, pick another." Null commanded.

Mira looked up at Null to see him pointing to the Void Walkers around her.

It was several hours later before Null had retreated back into the darkness. The Void Walkers that had been spared marched back out of the castle, down the road to the barren fields of Ouroboros. Mira was the last to leave, unable to stomach having to look at the Void Walkers face to face. No longer having to grovel at the feet of Null, Mira could hover once more, granting her flight a couple feet off the ground. Flying down the road to the fields, Mira made her way across Ouroboros quickly to reach the edge of the Valley of Shadows. A small rock formation jutted up from the ground that marked a passage in which Mira would use to reach a cave; the place she called home. The cave itself was illuminated only by the light of her hair. Here Mira rested, contemplated, ate, and expressed herself.

Screaming as loud as she could, Mira beat her head with her fists, grinding her teeth, biting her arms until the pain was too much, letting all her pent up emotions fly out. Once her anger was flushed out, grief took over and she wept quietly for hours for the loss of the Void Walkers and her friend Penn; dreading to have to Tier be sacrificed to the Storm as well. When enough time had passed, Mira gathered up whatever strength she could and went to find the Flame Pony again.

Traversing the Valley of Shadows was difficult even for Mira; the darkness here was almost a mist that prevented her from seeing anything other than old ruined buildings she nearly slammed into from time to time. Once being a grand city of Void Walker and Arcana history and tradition was turned into a graveyard by the Storm. Flecks of light could be seen appearing very rarely from the Valley of Shadows, which made Void Walkers and Arcana venture into it to bring back as an offering to the Storm. Although, the most vicious and dangerous of Void creatures inhabited the Valley, for Nadir had succeeded in sullying some of Azimuth's creations, but none cared for light. These creatures feasted upon light, which caused many Void Walkers to believe the Storm was the penultimate form of dark creature Nadir had wanted to create.

Mira floated around the ruins of the forgotten city, being cautious to turn any corner, fearing an abomination would be lying in wait for her. In times long ago, Penn was the one who would venture the Valley of Shadows to find light to offer the Storm, but not anymore. Carefully sliding her hand across the wall of a building, Mira found the corner, and ever so carefully poked her head around to see if something would be staring back. Seeing nothing but darkness, Mira floated around the corner slowly to see a small glint of light in the distance. Forgetting of the abominations all together, Mira raced towards the light to see what it was. The closer Mira got the more she realized what the light actually was.

It was greyish white Flame Pony mare with fire so yellow that it almost resembled the sun, although her fire was very weak, and the wounds on her body were severe. Mira floated down next to the pony, cautiously touching her, and examining her injuries. Glancing over at the pony's face once more, Mira noticed the mare's eyes slightly open, staring back at her. It wasn't the same Flame Pony she had been searching for before, but it was a Flame Pony nonetheless.

"Hi..." The Flame Pony whispered weakly.

"Hi." Mira replied back quietly.

"I'm Glow." The Flame Pony whispered.

"Hi Glow." Mira replied.

* * *

Manehattan School of Medicine enrolled nearly seven hundred potential doctor ponies a year. Offering a wide variety of fields to work in, offering Equestria wide transfers, and had one of the highest graduation turnouts ever seen in the last ten years. Needless to say, tuition was expensive, but it did little to stop any pony from finding part time jobs while furthering their education. One pony in particular was Tea Herbal, who had found herself a part time job, with flexible hours, working in a hole in the wall coffee shop when she wasn't attending her classes.

Having been back only a few days since leaving the Ashen Fields, Tea was already kicking herself for not thinking to have a picture taken with Smolder to prove to her friends that she really did know the King of Flame Ponies. All she had was a fire proof cloak that was given out to every pony in attendance, which would have been more than enough to prove her being there, but a certain duo named Flim and Flam had made quite a bit of coin selling some imitation cloaks. It would be hard to convince her friends that her cloak was genuine without setting it on fire.

Tea made her way down on of the many halls of the school, passing some groups of ponies speaking of tests they were studying for, while stepping aside for ponies racing by to reach their class on time. It wasn't long before Tea had reached a door marked '331', and pushed it open. Dozens of ponies were already inside, spotted throughout the raised rows, getting their things together for the lecture to start. The professor was not yet here, which meant that Tea would have to time to get settled in.

"Tea!" A pony shouted from a row near the middle.

Tea could see Florence and Chapel waving to her. Florence Gale was an orchid color pegasi pony, with a golden mane; her cutie mark depicted a stethoscope. Christie Chapel was a baby blue colored unicorn pony with an egg shell white mane; her cutie mark depicted a bandage. Tea had met them earlier this year; the three of them were all starting their first year, and shared many of the same classes together. With her new found friends, it made it a blessing for study groups, but a nightmare when they pried into her private life.

"Where were you all weekend?" Florence asked curiously, eyeing Tea suspiciously as she approached them.

"I heard a juicy rumor about Tea and the colt for room '216'." Chapel remarked, watching Tea seat herself between the two of them.

"You don't mean the cute one studying to be a Dermatologist, do you?" Florence gasped, feasting on the gossip.

"Oh please, that colt is only interested in zits." Tea mumbled digging around her saddle bag for her notebook.

"I swung by your place on Friday to pick up some of your notes from Monday's lecture, but your Mom said you were out of town." Florence explained, leaning in close to Tea; trying to make her spill the beans.

"Out of town? You better start talking." Chapel demanded, scooting herself closer to Tea.

"I was out of town, but you two wouldn't believe where I was even if I told you." Tea replied, trying to feign a clam exterior; wanting nothing more than to brag about it.

"It's got to be a secret boyfriend. No mare in her right mind would leave town for anything less." Chapel concluded, nodding her head at Florence.

"Or maybe some really embarrassing fungus that she doesn't want any pony to know about, and has to leave town to treat it." Florence offered in a whisper.

"Why do I even sit with you two?" Tea hissed; face turning a darker shade of green.

"Because you love us." Florence replied, resting her head on Tea's shoulder.

"And you give us free coffee when we show up at your work." Chapel added, making a sad puppy dog face.

"All lies." Tea mumbled, pulling her mane behind her ear.

"So? Where were you?" Chapel asked once more, taking Tea's hoof and shaking it anxiously.

"Tell us, we're your bestest best friends." Florence added.

"If you must know, I was invited to attend…" Tea began, pausing for dramatic effect.

"Yeah?" Florence and Chapel asked together.

"The Coronation of Prince Smolder in the Ashen Fields." Tea finished.

"This again?" Chapel asked rolling her eyes.

"This fantasy of yours is really starting to go too far, Tea. It's not healthy." Florence said, with a sigh of disappointment.

"It's true!" Tea insisted, watching her friends prepare to take notes.

"We believe you Tea, just like how I'm secretly dating the Ophthalmologist in '197'." Chapel remarked sarcastically.

"I have proof this time!" Tea hissed, clutching her saddle bag against her chest.

"Did you kidnap the Prince?" Florence asked jokingly poking her saddle bag with her pencil.

"No! I brought back a souvenir." Tea said, opening up her saddle bag.

Chapel and Florence both leaned over to see a folded up piece of cloth in her bag. Chapel was first to reach over and touch it, her expression changed rather quickly, noticing the quality of its texture; making Florence question her own doubts.

"This actually feels expensive." Chapel remarked, rubbing it against her cheek.

"What fancy pony did you kiss to get this?" Florence asked in amazement, feeling the texture between her hooves.

"It was a gift!" Tea hissed, face turning a darker green then before. "The Flame Ponies passed them out to all the invited guests."

"Did you get a picture with Prince Smolder?" Chapel asked curiously.

"Well… no." Tea replied.

"Do you have the invitation?" Florence asked.

"I… I had to give it over to the guards when I got to the castle." Tea said, feeling her credibility beginning to slip.

"So all you got is this blanket, huh?" Chapel asked, obviously not convinced.

"It's a cloak." Tea corrected her, pulling it away from them and stuffing it back in her saddle bag.

"Okay, say we believe you, and that Prince Smolder, the Prince, invited you to his party, why would he do that?" Florence asked curiously.

"He and I are… really good friends." Tea replied, feeling her face flush again.

"Just friends?" Chapel asked, noticing her embarrassment.

"Sounds to me like Tea's got a crush on a Prince Pony, just like little fillies in school used to have." Florence remarked believing it to be nothing more than an obsession.

The door to the classroom opened, the professor strolled in, bringing the class to a start and stopping Tea short of defending herself. The professor pony was named Barnett had a glorious mustache, earth tone hide, a checkered plaid suit coat, a brown mane, and an abacus as a cutie mark.

"Good morning, every pony. Let's get right into it then." The Professor Barnett said aloud.

Professor Barnett wasted no time picking up a piece of chalk and writing down bullets points to his lecture for the day. There was a silence that hung about the room, when it came down to it, every pony was serious about learning, but Tea wasn't about to let things go so quickly.

"I am not just crushing on a Prince Pony, I told you before I met him in Canterlot." Tea whispered.

"Was that before or after Princess Celestia brought you to Ponyville to say a final farewell?" Chapel whispered back sarcastically.

Tea could feel her face still burning hot. Almost everything she said seemed almost too fantastical for any pony to take at face value, but it didn't help that all her proof was circumstantial and lacking.

"Just ask out the colt in '216', I'm sure you two will hit it off." Florence whispered to her.

"Today we will be discussing mardio cardial infarction, and the tell-tale signs of one." Professor Barnett announced to the class, continuing to write on the board.

"I'm not asking that colt out!" Tea hissed, getting annoyed.

"Prince Ponies marry Princess Ponies, that's how it works." Chapel whispered trying to bring logic to the table.

"Like I'd let that Ice Witch lay one hoof on Smolder." Tea mumbled bitterly, her face fuming.

"Ice Witch?" Florence asked, sensing the venom in Tea's words.

"Is some mare coming between you and your Prince Smolder?" Chapel asked sarcastically.

"Can any pony hear tell me one of the signs of a mardio cardial infarction?" Professor Barnett asked aloud, looking over his shoulder to the class.

"Episodes of angina?" Florence offered, raising her pencil to answer.

"Good, good." Professor Barnett replied, writing it on the board.

"She's a cold, conniving… hussy." Tea mumbled, thinking of how she had to leave and Sapphire got to stay.

"Who is she?" Florence asked, feeling the gossip about to start up again.

"Just some Princess Pony flaunting her snowflakes from the North." Tea hissed, digging her pencil hard into her notebook.

"You can't be serious, an Ice Pony? Ice Ponies rarely, if ever, leave the North; you have a better chance of kissing Antonio Bandito then seeing one." Florence remarked.

"Sweet Celestia, Antonio Bandito…" Chapel whispered longingly.

"When looking early signs of mardio cardial infraction, a pony must be able to see early signs of-"

 **BAM!**

"Tea Herbal!" Princess Sapphire shouted, slamming the classroom door open making every pony jump.

Professor Barnett, along with the rest of the class, was at a loss for words seeing the very beautiful and mysterious Ice Pony standing in their doorway. Many ponies were gathering outside to see the Ice Pony up close; it seems that Sapphire had barged into several classrooms before finding the right one. Princess Sapphire quickly scanned the room before locking eyes with Tea in the center row.

"Ms. Herbal! You need to come with me immediately!" Sapphire shouted, rushing towards into the classroom.

Florence and Chapel stared wide eyed, mouth agape, at the sudden appearance at the Ice Pony; no more so then calling Tea out by name.

"Excuse me… Miss, but I'm in the middle of a class right now." Professor Barnett said aloud trying to regain control of his classroom.

"You may resume your teachings after I have acquired Ms. Herbal! King Smolder's life depends upon Ms. Herbal's cooperation!" Sapphire declared, flaring her wings to assert herself, forcing the Professor to back off.

"What!" Tea shouted in disbelief, getting to her hooves.

"I will explain everything, but you have to come with me immediately!" Sapphire insisted, watching Tea quickly pack all her things.

Several student ponies crowded around the door of the classroom to see what was going on, but quickly dispersed when the Dean of the school came trotting over to see what the commotion was. His name was Marcus and he was an elder colt, a white beard, white mane, a soft yellow to his hide, but wore a very dark suit coat and had steely black eyes; his cutie mark was that of a hammer being brought down.

"What's going on here, Professor?" The Dean Marcus asked in a gruff voice.

"This Ice Pony just barged in here, making several demands, and disrupting my lecture." Professor Barnett explained, trying to deflect the Dean towards Sapphire.

"Do you even go to this school, young lady?" Dean Marcus asked promptly, paying no never mind to her being an Ice Pony.

"Of course not." Princess Sapphire replied watching Sapphire quickly race down the steps to meet with her.

Not far behind Tea was Chapel and Florence who had rushed after her. Not wanting to miss a second of the drama unfolding, Chapel and Florence were ready to throw a whole day of lectures just to get in on the ground floor of Tea and the Ice Witch. The Dean had other ideas.

"You ponies will sit back down and resume your studies while I have security come and escort this troublemaker from the premises immediately." The Dean remarked a demanding gruff tone.

"I am Princess Sapphire of the Frozen North, here on Royal business, business that may very well be a matter of life and death to a very important pony." Sapphire announced to the Dean.

"Not my problem." The Dean remarked, unfazed by this.

"I can also make a sizeable donation to this institution." Sapphire added quickly.

The Dean wiggled his nose, his mustache and beard moving with it. There was a long silence that lingered in the room before the Dean cleared his throat.

"How much?" The Dean asked in a lighter tone.

"A _very_ sizeable donation." Sapphire emphasized.

"Well then… I suppose an emergency of this nature can be excused." The Dean remarked, glancing at Tea, Chapel, and Florence. "Do… you need all these students?"

Sapphire looked over to see Chapel and Florence smiling very wide. Tea looked very annoyed by their presence but it was enough for Sapphire to nod her head yes.

"Very well then, they can be excused until this matter of yours is resolved, but I expect a full explanation of this situation." The Dean pointed out. "As well as the… um… donation."

"Have my ponies write your ponies." Sapphire said quickly, racing towards the door with Tea, Chapel, and Florence chasing after her.

The four ponies raced out of the room, the Dean looking very pleased with himself. Professor Barnett strolled over to the Dean, flattening his mustache with a puzzled look on his face.

"Sir, do you even know any Ice Ponies in the North?" Professor Barnett asked curiously.

"Of course I…" The Dean stopped short, suddenly realizing he had no way of contacting the Ice Ponies.

There were several giggles and laughs coming from the rest of the students, but it all stopped abruptly with a sudden glare from the Dean.

"Just continue your lecture." The Dean grumbled.


	2. Chapter 2: The Journey Ahead

Traveling to the Frozen North was not as simple as boarding a train. For the Kingdom of Ice Ponies is located on the other side of Mount Everhoof, ravaged with sub artic temperatures that would freeze ponies in minutes, it would not be an easy trip; if at all. Luckily though, the trip would not have them scaling the icy mountains near YakYakistan, nor crossing the frozen tundra of the North to reach the Kingdom. Because within two days, Lord Tundra and Lady Frost would return with Ice Ponies to assist with the restoration of Castle Char and would most certainly provide them with a safe transport to their Kingdom.

With Smolder trapped in the Void, Twilight and her friends were anxious to learn what Princess Sapphire's plan was. With the King's Portal responding only to the Royal Family's flame, Smolder being the last of the line, it was a welcome if not brilliant idea to retrieve the small flame Smolder had left with Tea in a lantern. The other concern was the Void itself, opening the portal once more would just invite disaster to Equestria, but they would have to meet Princess Sapphire in the Frozen North to find out more.

With Duke Wellington, Princess Sheva, Prince Rutherford, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Wingston being informed of Sapphire's vision from the metal seal, left behind by Smolder, every pony was curious to know exactly what she had seen. With Sapphire surely halfway to Manehatten, it was decided to call another meeting when Twilight and her friends had more to go on. With that, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack were headed back home for a short time until the arrival of Lord Tundra and Lady Frost.

It had been little over a week since first arriving in the Ashen Fields, and every pony was nonetheless happy to be home again. It would be only a short time before having to head out once more, but it was a welcome sight seeing old friends and family again. Especially for Applejack who was said to have hugged nearly every apple tree in Sweet Apple Acres, after seeing the flat and barren fields of the Ashen Fields for so long. Applejack took every opportunity to do whatever chore that needed to be done, which gave Big Mac the easiest day of apple farming he could remember.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a break Applejack?" Applebloom asked curiously, watching her big sister buck a week's worth of trees in just a couple of hours.

"I done nothing but buck spiders and stand around building a dam for almost a week, sugar cube, I got some catching up to do." Applejack replied, gathering up a bushel of apples and bringing them over to the cart.

"But Big Mac has been keeping up with all the chores since you've been gone, I'm certain we didn't fall behind schedule." Applebloom insisted looking at the three wagons filled with apples.

Applejack removed her hat, wiping her brow before taking a hard look at how much apples she had bucked. Returning her hat to her head, Applejack nodded in agreement, admitting to herself that she was just glad to be home again.

"Alright, sugar cube, let's break for lunch. We'll get these here carts back to the barn afterwards." Applejack remarked, motioning back down the path.

"Now you're talking." Applebloom said with delight, walking beside Applejack.

A couple steps down the path, the bell in the barn started to ring, signaling the alarm that there was a fire. Instinctively, Applejack and Applebloom sped off towards the house to grab themselves a bucket of water, but the closer they got to home the more it became clear that there was no fire; at least not one that wasn't already on a pony.

Standing beside Big Mac was a familiar Flame Pony named Tiff Pitchstone, looking rather nervous standing on the dirt path, and that Big Mac was much tougher looking then him. It may had only been a day since leaving the Ashen Fields, yet Applejack was quite delighted to see Tiff waiting for them. There was just something about seeing a Flame Pony outside of their dusty, bland, and vacant fields that made them pop in a world of color.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Tiff asked Big Mac anxiously.

"Nope." Big Mac replied, moving his head side to side.

"I suspect that this isn't your first time seeing a Flame Pony. Seeing as you're not all that surprised with my being here." Tiff remarked.

"Nope." Big Mac replied again.

"You don't say much do you?" Tiff asked curiously.

"Nope." Big Mac said again.

"Well howdy there partner. What brings you all the way out here to Sweet Apple Acres?" Applejack asked kindly, approaching the two of them with Applebloom by her side.

"I'm sorry for coming here unannounced Applejack, I wanted to relieve you of all the coffee beans you had stored for us." Tiff said nervously, although looking quite happy to see her once more.

"Just how many Flame Ponies are you planning on bringing home with you?" Applebloom asked Applejack.

"This here is my kid sister Applebloom. Applebloom, this is Mr. Pitchstone, a fellow farmer." Applejack introduced them, letting her comment slide.

"I learned not to try and touch a Flame Pony, Mr. Pitchstone." Applebloom remarked, not offering Tiff a hoof shake.

"It's Tiff, and that's very wise." Tiff replied, still looking rather nervous.

"Relax Tiff, you're among friends here." Applejack said trying to put him at ease.

"I'm sorry, Applejack. It's just that I'm… I'm frightened to step anywhere. I don't want to be the Flame Pony that burned down Sweet Apple Acres." Tiff confessed.

"Don't worry yourself over that, we had Ash come walking through here and he didn't set anything on fire." Applejack said reassuringly.

"Don't forget about that race with Hotshot!" Applebloom added excitedly.

"Race?" Tiff asked curiously.

"I'll tell ya all about it on our way to the barn." Applejack said, motioning for everypony to follow her.

"Do you like my sister?" Applebloom asked, looking curiously up at Tiff.

"Well I-uh- have a- great respect for Applejack, and I-uh-" Tiff stammered nervously, his flames flaring slightly.

* * *

The barn in Sweet Apple Acres had nearly been filled to the brim with coffee beans, bottled grape juice, and some other assortments of perishable things that was brought over from the Ashen Fields. Big Mac lifted a large beam of wood from the barn doors, with little effort, that just made Tiff feel even smaller in comparison. The barn doors opened to reveal dozens of stone crates piled high, pristine condition, earning a sharp whistle from Applebloom.

"Just how do you plan on moving all this, partner?" Applejack asked curiously, noticing that Tiff had come alone.

"Ah yes, well a couple of volunteers from the Crystal Empire Restoration Committee said that they would send a caravan and ponies to help move this at noon." Tiff explained, looking up towards the sun to see that it was nearly overhead.

"The Crystal Empire what?" Applejack asked sounding confused.

"It's just easier to call it the C.E.R.C.; it was Lord Shining Armor's idea to call it that." Tiff explained further. "The ponies should be showing up any time now."

There was a sudden scraping of rock coming from inside the barn as Big Mac had pulled a stone box off the stack and carried it outside. Tiff grimaced further, knowing he'd need at least five other ponies to move one, and this pony only needed himself. He didn't feel bad for long as the promised caravan appeared sailing through the sky, promptly on time with several pegasi ponies came soaring after it. No less than twenty Crystal Empire Ponies of pegasi and unicorns had come to assist in moving the stone crates.

It took nearly a half an hour for the caravan to make three trips back and forth to remove every stone crate from the barn, but the job was finished in a rather timely manner. With the crystal ponies saying a farewell, they took off once more towards the Ashen Fields leaving Tiff and the others at the now empty barn.

"Thanks for allowing us the use of your barn, Applejack." Tiff said appreciatively.

"Don't mention it, Tiff. It was no trouble at all." Applejack replied.

"I should get going then, there's a lot that still needs to get done." Tiff said mentioned, looking towards the mountains that separated the Ashen Fields and the rest of Equestria.

"Why didn't you take the caravan with the rest of the ponies?" Applebloom asked curiously.

"I-well- I was a- planning on… walking back." Tiff stammered nervously. "It's so colorful here. Not even in my dreams did I think…"

It was obvious that lush foliage and immense colors that Ponyville had to offer would be overwhelming if not unbelievable to a pony that grew up in shades of grey. Taking as much time as he could to return to the fields was just Tiff's way of prolonging his trip to soak in all the beauty Equestria had to offer.

"Give it time, partner, the Ashen Fields will be just as colorful." Applejack said encouragingly.

Applejack escorted Tiff back to the dirt path that would lead back out of Ponyville towards the meadows and back to the mountain range. Tiff stared longingly at the trees, the grass, even the multitude of wild flowers that bloomed near the edge of Sweet Apple Acres property.

"You be careful on your way back, you hear?" Applejack asked.

"Of course." Tiff replied, nodding his head; nervously scanning the ground for dried leaves or twigs.

Tiff rummaged through his satchel for a moment, retrieving a medium sized metal tin. Doing his best not to look nervous, Tiff placed it on the ground before Applejack, not wanting to hoof it over and risk burning her.

"It's for your trip up North. It's our first blend of coffee beans, ground finely; I thought it would make for a hot drink in the snow. " Tiff said awkwardly.

"That's mighty kind of you, Tiff." Applejack said, picking up the tin and looking it over. "Thank you."

"Stay safe, Applejack." Tiff said, a bit of worry in his voice.

"You can count on it." Applejack said reassuringly.

Applejack watched Tiff wave goodbye, moving down the path, doing some rather awkward steps to avoid some dry brush on the path; disappearing from sight moment later. Looking over the tin can, Applejack popped the metal lid off the top, taking a sniff of the ground beans within. The smell was strong; the aroma was a pleasant scent, and just a sniff made Applejack feel wide awake.

"They brew'em pretty strong in the fields." Applejack remarked, referring to more than just the coffee grounds in the tin.

* * *

Two days had come and gone. Twilight and her friends had left early that morning to return to Castle Char and await the arrival of the Ice Ponies. Once more loading a cart full of their personal belongings that were going to be taking to the Frozen North, Applejack volunteered to pull the cart; a nagging thought in the back of her head reminded her of the promise she made after pulling the Obelisk out of the Spider's Lair.

"I hoped every pony remembered to pack warmly for this trip. I've weathered a couple bad winters in Ponyville but I can't imagine what it must be like up North." Applejack remarked, watching Rainbow Dash fly down to help her pull the cart.

"I've read that the Frozen North reaches subzero temperatures during even the summers. We'll be lucky if a couple notches above freezing." Twilight remarked sounding a bit worried.

"It will be cold, I grant you, but we're not going on some sort of expedition. We'll be staying with the Royal Family, within a castle at the heart of their Kingdom, I dare say we should look forward to ice skating within the halls and drinking hot cocoa at all hours of the day." Rarity remarked with optimism.

"It will be a nice to see the snow rabbits and the polar bears that live up there." Fluttershy said quietly, looking moderately excited.

"I can't wait to try some of their snow cones!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed popping out from the top of the cart.

"Yeah well let's not forget why we're going all the way up north to begin with. We're supposed to be trying to find a way to get Matchstick back." Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"There's nothing much we can do until Sapphire returns to the Frozen North, until then we should focus on just getting there and settling in." Twilight replied.

The group of ponies slowly came to a stop noticing a rather large herd of Flame Ponies gathered near the front of Castle Char; as if expecting them. General Horizon, and recently retired General Hearth, stood apart from the herd to personally accept them. Upon their approach, Twilight and her friends could see some familiar faces waiting to greet them; namely the Flame Ponies they had befriended during their stay.

"What's all this?" Twilight asked curiously.

"You didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye?" Hearth asked with a grin.

"Or thank you!" Stitch shouted from the back.

"Every pony wanted to send you off properly, and express their gratitude for what you did for them." Ray explained.

"Well that is very kind of every pony but it really quite unnecessary we-" Rarity stopped short seeing her three student seamstresses approach her carrying a few bundles of clothing.

"This is for you and your friends, Rarity." Stitch said, giving her a hoof made winter coat.

Crow and Rose passed similar looking coats to every pony else, each one having a personalized embroidery of their cutie marks stitched onto the back. The winter coats looked very warm, stylish and very fluffy much to Fluttershy's enjoyment.

"You made our dreams a reality." Stitch added.

Rarity was almost on the verge of tears when Stitch nudged Rose who was too embarrassed to speak up; trying to keep a tough exterior.

"Yeah, thanks for-uh- everything, and… stuff." Rose mumbled, blushing considerably; refusing to look Rarity straight in the eye.

"I-I-I-I c-c-can't th-thank… you… enough R-R-R-R…" Crow struggled to get the words out. "Rarity. I-I-I-I-I'll look af-ter them."

"I can't, I just can't take this right now, my heart is just overflowing with emotions." Rarity said, fanning herself, caressing her winter coat close to her chest.

Twilight was admiring her own winter coat when Alex Papyrus approached her. Clearing his throat, Alex opened his mouth to speak, only to hear his voice crack before clearing it once more out of embarrassment. Holding a small stone box out to her, Twilight took the stone box with her magic, opening it to reveal a small roll of parchment.

"This is for you." Alex said trying not to sound nervous.

Even with her magic, Twilight was careful to unroll it. Twilight gasped in utter shock at what was printed upon the parchment. It bore the signature of a very famous pony.

"Is this a forgotten spell form Star Swirl the Bearded?" Twilight asked in disbelief; seeing Star Swirl's signature near the bottom of the parchment.

"Well… no… not exactly. It's just a lunch order he penned out to one of our cooks many years ago." Alex explained looking rather embarrassed. "I spoke with Princess Luna during the party and she spoke of your love of Star Swirl the Bearded. I thought that this might… well…"

Twilight could see the words, apple, sandwich, lemon cake, hastily scrawled across the paper. His name was most likely placed there to let the cook pony know who it was for.

"I wish there was more to offer but-" Alex began.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Twilight said sincerely.

Mr. Tutor and Lionel approached Fluttershy, but it was Lionel who seemed more nervous than Mr. Tutor. Having Mr. Tutor push Lionel forward, Fluttershy could see Lionel holding a small cloth in his arms, looking very embarrassed to be here.

"I caught Lionel in the Dark Marsh yesterday." Mr. Tutor began.

"Oh dear, I thought we had an agreement about going into the Marsh?" Fluttershy asked softly to Lionel.

"I know." Lionel mumbled under his breath.

"Turns out that Lionel wanted to surprise you with a gift when you came back; as a thank you for fighting off the spiders." Mr. Tutor continued.

"Dad!" Lionel hissed, blushing a deep red.

"A gift?" Fluttershy asked curiously.

"It's a-a-a-a Phoenix Flower…" Lionel said nervously, opening up the small cloth to reveal a fiery looking flower.

"It's a rare flower that grows where ever a Phoenix makes a nest." Mr. Tutor explained. "Its pedals have a special filament that reflects light to make it look like fire, and once it wilts away its pedals can be planted to make new ones."

Fluttershy carefully took the flower from Lionel, holding it gingerly in her hoof.

"I really don't know what to say, thank you, Lionel. You are a very sweet pony." Fluttershy said appreciatively.

"It would make all the foals and fillies very happy if you would come back to visit and tell them all about the animals up North." Mr. Tutor added.

"It would make Ember happy." Lionel mumbled, feeling Tutor's hoof cover his mouth and pull him back.

Flare, Wisp, Solar, and Ray approached Rainbow Dash, seeing as it was a work day; they were dressed in their armor but were in good spirits nonetheless. Ray was wearing armor similar to that of what General Hearth had worn, signifying her new position with golden leaves tracing the edges breastplate. Flare was dressed in lighter armor, her wings plated with gold to signify her as the Leader of the Pegasi Air Force.

"I do some pretty good work." Rainbow Dash mentioned seeing how far her students had come.

"I didn't get a promotion." Wisp pointed out, pointing to his undecorated chest plate.

"And you won't get one if you keep complaining about it." Ray interjected sharply.

"I nearly got eaten by spiders; you'd think they'd give me a raise or something." Wisp continued on, not letting go of the issue.

"But you didn't." Solar replied.

"That's the point! I'm alive, I deserve a promotion!" Wisp insisted.

Rainbow Dash watched Flare and Ray attempt to silence Wisp by covering his mouth with his hooves, but Wisp put up a tremendous fight spouting his need for recognition. Solar stepped aside to let the three Flame Ponies wrestle it out, while Rainbow Dash shook her head slowly seeing that they had a lot more work to do.

"We named the Academy after you." Solar mentioned.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked in surprise.

"Solar! You can't say it so nonchalantly!" Ray hissed in disbelief.

"You could have at least tried to seem happy when you said it." Flare pointed out.

"You named the Academy after me?" Rainbow Dash asked again in disbelief.

"There wouldn't be any Academy or Royal Airforce if not for you. So Ray suggested we name it after you, seeing as you laid the foundation to what we are today." Flare explained further.

"Are you serious?" Rainbow Dash asked in extremely delight.

"It's called Dash Academy. We we're also using the title 'Rainbow Week' for first week of boot camp for all new pegasi students." Ray told her.

"The stone cutter ponies didn't have time to get to carving out your statue for the Academy but it should be ready-" Wisp began.

"I get a statue?" Rainbow Dash asked in overwhelming excitement.

Pinkie Pie's nose began to sniff the air. The smell of freshly baked treats came wafting through the air. With no surprise, Ruby Simmer strolled up to Pinkie Pie with a stone box full of pastries for her and every pony else. She was followed by Argo Fleece who was looking much better, although he walked with a slight limp but it didn't slow him down any.

"These are for your trip, Pinkie Pie. I've been practicing my tarts while you've been away." Ruby explained, handing the stone box over to her.

"Ruby! They smell so delicious!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed taking the box from her and inhaling deeply.

"I just wanted to come by and say thank you for helping me express myself, and being my friend." Ruby said nervously.

"You don't need to thank a pony for being a friend, Ruby. But I will thank you for these treats." Pinkie Pie replied happily.

"It would seem that the bakery was a worthwhile venture after all, proving once more that Ms. Pie is a very good judge of character and endorsements." Argo remarked, stepping up next to Ruby who seemed to shrink next to him.

"I think Argo just paid you a compliment, Ruby." Pinkie Pie said in delight.

"Th-Th-Thank you, sir." Ruby stammered nervously.

"Don't be afraid, Ms. Simmer, I've retired my position as Treasurer." Argo said plainly.

"Have you really?" Hearth asked in amazement, overhearing this bit of news.

"You're really retiring, Argo?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"Seeing as the now retired General Hearth is being replaced by his ever charming granddaughter, I could not see myself dealing with such reckless youth of such financial matters." Argo explained. "I've already put in my two week notice to Wingston and have already found a suitable replacement."

"You mean Goldie?" Pinkie Pie asked in excitement.

"It would seem that my daughter has a talent for such work and thought it a blessing to stay here as Treasurer for the Ashen Fields." Argo added, looking almost proud of that his offspring would be just as clever as he.

"Is she nice?" Ruby asked.

Argo gave Ruby a sharp look, which made her shrink away even more but Pinkie Pie was there to act as a buffer between them.

"Goldie is a very sweet pony; she'll be a tremendous asset to the Kingdom." Pinkie Pie insisted.

"What will you be doing in your retirement?" Hearth asked curiously.

"Helena wants to visit Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, Manehatten, and several other dreadful places." Argo groaned.

"What do _you_ want to do?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I just…" Argo shifted uncomfortably. "Want to be with my Helena."

There was a collective 'aww' that swept through the group of ponies that derived a stern but embarrassed look from Argo. Every pony went back to their own business while Argo cleared his throat and stepped forward to address Pinkie Pie directly.

"You and your friends have done an incredible service to this Kingdom. You in particular Ms. Pie have gone above and beyond what was asked of you, including a personal matter concerning my family." Argo began. "I would like to present you with this gold coin medallion, twenty-four karat gold, engraved are the names of all previous recipients, including yours. It is, if not, the highest honor we can give a pony."

Argo revealed a small stone case with a glass top, inside bore said medallion, Pinkie Pie's name among several others.

"In the years to come, the Kingdom of Flame Ponies will know that Pinkie Pie had done us a great kindness, and it will hopefully inspire future generations to follow in your hoofsteps." Argo continued.

"I will treasure it, like so many things in my life." Pinkie Pie replied happily.

"Thank you… for being a good friend." Argo said slowly, obviously new to the whole gratitude feeling.

With every pony speaking amongst each other, saying their goodbyes and well wishes, it was the soft thud of a metal staff that drew every pony's attention. Wingston approached Twilight and her friends, his old familiar limp, and brand new staff that looked quite fearsome to be hit with. Wingston was now sporting his new cloak, still very much the same in that it covered nearly his entire body except for his long boney fingers, and his two eyes that could be seen from the slot where the hood was.

"Wingston!" Spike exclaimed, excited to see him once more.

"Where?" Wingston asked sarcastically, looking over his shoulder.

There was an awkward silence following Wingston's poor attempt at a joke but it didn't seem to damper his spirits. Spike quickly approached Wingston, receiving a pat on the back from Wingston, while in turn giving Wingston a firm hug.

"It's good to see you up and about once more, Wingston." Rarity remarked, a tone of relief in her voice.

"I take a few days off and everything just falls to pieces." Wingston joked, looking around the rather war torn fields.

"Fret not, Lord Tundra and Lady Frost will be here soon with Ice Ponies to help in the restoration efforts." Twilight said optimistically.

"The Ashen Fields owes a great debt of gratitude to a great many ponies, but none more deserving then the six of you." Wingston said.

"Seven!" Spike interjected.

"Seven of you." Wingston quickly corrected himself.

"It was really no trouble at all." Applejack replied.

"It was rather enjoyable to be honest, except for the spiders… and the Orc… and the dragon…" Fluttershy trailed off.

"What she's trying to say is that it's no biggie." Rainbow Dash mentioned.

"This is why it is difficult for me to ask for another favor from you ponies." Wingston said, sounding rather disappointed in himself.

"It's no trouble at all, darling." Rarity said warmly.

"What sort of favor did you want to ask us, Wingston?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Bring Smolder back to us." Wingston said. "Please."

It could be seen on every Flame Pony's face, there was hope, but the slightest bit of uncertainty that seemed to be just underneath the surface. Every pony had lost a King, but more importantly, they had lost a friend and were missing him dearly. Yet, there were no sad faces to be had; every pony had complete confidence in Twilight and her friends.

"Count on it." Twilight said determinedly.

There was shouting coming from the fields from Flame Pony's tilling the usable land as several magnificently royal carriages came soaring over the mountain tops and down towards Castle Char. The carriages were a light shade of blue and white, decorated in gold, drawn by Ice Pony Pegasi Royal Guards that dived low to land. The carriages lined up alongside one another, five in all, as several dozen Ice Ponies emerged from the carriages, two being Lord Tundra and Lady Frost. There were Ice Ponies of all ages gathering near their King and Queen, manes similar to Princess Sapphire's as dozens of small snowflakes showered down.

"Is every pony ready?" Twilight asked, looking back at all her friends.

"Let's find us a Smolder." Rainbow Dash said slamming her hooves together.


	3. Chapter 3: The Creatures of Naught

Within the Kingdom of Naught, there is no life, other than that which the Eternal Master Azimuth had created. There was no foliage, no trees, no water; just barren fields and black sand. Just creatures that fed upon the light, that consumed it by its rays, but now are starved for it; becoming desperate for it. The storm, the Void, had consumed all light within the Kingdom of Naught, having starved itself in the process, and now fed upon its inhabitants; slowly dying like the rest. While Mira was not the most powerful Arcana, nor was she the smartest of them, but she was resourceful and in many cases clever.

There were a plethora of dark creatures within the forgotten city, each with their own unique characteristics, and traits that made them very dangerous or very useful. Whether it was body parts, excretions, oils, or even blood, every creature had something to offer. One in particular was an enormous raven known as Hoopoe. It was said to have healing properties, that the feathers in its wings could cure anything. Having once been admired and respected by are the Arcana, but now feared for it devoured them for their light. It soared through the black oceans of the sky, nesting in the highest ruined tower of the forgotten city, silently waiting for its next meal to shine through the darkness. A single feather would be more than enough to restore the Flame Pony, but it had to be from the wing Hoopoe, anything less wouldn't do.

Mira would never have dared to approach the ruin tower, or even be within a mile of it, but with the Flame Pony in desperate need of aid Mira had no other choice. Hiding within one of the ruined shops of the forgotten city, Mira peeked out from a hole within the wall, spying Hoopoe's tower in the far distance. Many creatures tended to stay away from the tower like Mira did, there were not many that could face the immense size of Hoopoe, nor could many creatures hear it coming. Hoopoe's wings made no sound when it flew, no creature would know it was being stalked until it was hundreds of feet in the air trapped in its talons, becoming Hoopoe's meal.

Placing her two little fingers in her mouth, Mira let out a sharp whistle, it echoed considerably through the darkness, as she sat down against the inside wall of the shop and waited. Time was irrelevant within the Kingdom of Naught; Azimuth had blessed her creations with the gift of immortality, unless of course they happened to be killed. Although, the passage of time was felt every now and again whenever Mira had to 'wait' for something to happen, and it was taking a rather long time. There used to be so much to do in the forgotten city, it had been so long since the days where the city was filled with Arcana and Void Walkers that none remembered what the city was actually called; so everyone simply referred to it as the forgotten city.

Silently drawing her fingers along the glowing markings upon her arms, Mira let out a sigh of boredom. Padded footsteps could suddenly be heard entering the ruined shop from the other side of the wall, causing Mira to slink her way into a corner out of fear for what it could be. The footsteps were met with short breaths, with sudden bursts of furious sniffing as Mira's fear slowly melted away by these familiar sounds to her.

"Rok?" Mira whispered quietly, peeking out from around the corner.

A gigantic dark grey wolf nearly filled the entire ruined shop, its massive ears perked up the sound of Mira's voice. Its giant head whipped towards her, its black eyes reflecting the soft blue light of Mira's hair. The wolf was known as Amarok, the Lone Hunter, one of the most fearsome creatures within the forgotten city. Amarok deep growl reverberated off the walls, baring its sterling white fangs at her, its hair standing on end.

Mira carefully stepped out from behind the corner, hands raised up near her face to show Amarok she meant no harm. Amarok leaned forward, sniffing the top of Mira's head, nearly knocking her over while it continued to sniff her. Eventually Amarok, laid itself down, no longer menacing, opening its mouth wide with a yawn as it nudged Mira's gingerly with its snout.

"How are you, Rok? How've you been?" Mira asked quietly, stroking Amarok's face.

In days long passed, Mira had saved a young wolf pup for a deep dark chasm it had fallen into. Amarok's are known to hunt alone, never in packs, but having been saved that day, two had become lifelong friends that day.

"Can you help me?" Mira whispered to Amarok. "I need you to take me there."

Mira pointed to the ruined tower off in the distance, patting Amarok gently on the face to get across her sense of urgency. Amarok picked itself off the ground, towering over Mira, not even reaching its knee, before howling loudly.

"Good boy." Mira whispered.

Mira floated up to Amarok's chest, clinging to him, its fur hiding the Mira's light. No sooner had Mira gotten her grip did Amarok sprint off. The wolf's speed was incredible, it almost seemed to fly through the darkness, but its steps were silent; making it the perfect hunter. It wasn't long before Amarok slowed its pace, trotting its way across the open streets before brushing up along the base of the tower. Mira peeked out from beneath Amarok, glancing around at the area; there were many holes to which she could use to enter the tower. Carefully letting go of Amarok's fur, Mira floated very close to the tower before moving near Amarok's head.

"Wait here for me." Mira whispered.

Amarok lowered itself, lying once more on the ground beside the tower. Mira spared a few thankful pats upon Amarok's head before turning his attention to the tower. Squeezing her way through a small opening in the wall, Mira looked about the inner ruined tower, looking for a way to climb higher. A small snort came from the opening Mira had squeezed through as Amarok's nose poked through. Mira shushed it, patting it gently on the nose before watching Amarok withdraw his snout. Floating about the base of the ruined tower, Mira stumbled upon an old stone staircase that led higher up the tower. Doing her best to mat her hair down, Mira cautiously floated up the steps, taking great care to avoid passing holes within the walls. Hoping to avoid being seen by any other creatures or even Hoopoe as she climbed higher up the tower.

The climb was slow. The silence was not at all welcoming to Mira, first it being quite eerie, but secondly, it meant that Hoopoe wasn't around; which meant no feather. Nearing the top of the ruined tower, Mira began finding remains of Hoopoe's latest meals, many of which were unpleasant to look at let alone eat. Basilisk's were Hoopoe's steady diet these days, measuring to no more than a couple feet, but were deathly poisonous. Luckily, for Hoopoe, it had regenerative properties that cured him of the poison after every meal.

The tower opened up to a large flat room that had very few bricks that resembled a wall, the roof itself was no longer there while the floor was littered with creature remains; some so twisted Mira couldn't even make out what it used to be. There were several old feathers strewn about the muddled mess of carcasses, even the smallest of feathers seemed quite large. Although, none seemed to be large enough to have come from Hoopoe's wing. Taking the dried skin of a basilisk, the texture almost like leather, Mira covered her head with it to help hide her glowing hair while trying not to gag from the smell. Rubbing the mucky residue of the remains upon her arms, Mira was able to cover up her glowing markings; this time she wasn't able to keep her lunch down. A sudden thump shook the tower; a carcass had just been dropped upon the top of the tower, a freshly killed basilisk that uncoiled itself across the room. Mira retreated several steps down the staircase; the sudden brush of wind blew through the tower as Mira covered her mouth with her hands to keep herself from shouting in surprise. A powerful gust of wind blew through the top of the stairs, forcing Mira to float back a few paces, the tower shook as Hoopoe had come home to roost.

There was scratching to be heard from up above, the rustling of feathers, the sound of feverish pecking striking leathery flesh. Mira shook in fright, breathing quickly, trying to calm herself down. It would be several minutes before Mira made peace with herself before daring a glance from the top of the stairs. Her dim yellow eyes peered out from staircase to see the massive raven Hoopoe tearing into the basilisk's flesh with its beak. Luckily, Hoopoe had its back facing Mira. Mira could see its enormous wings beating, trying to give itself some lift to tear pieces of the basilisk away.

The wind generated by Hoopoe's wings swept through the top of the tower, forcing Mira to hold on to the leathery hide atop her head. Eventually Hoopoe's wings settled down giving Mira the chance to snatch of its feathers. Mira raised her hands towards the right wing of Hoopoe. Her eyes began to shine a little more vibrantly as dark shadows started to reach up from the stone bricks below; twisted black hands reaching for the wing. Mira's dark magic took hold of a cluster of feathers upon Hoopoe's wing, attempting to yank whatever feathers she could from it. Hoopoe raised its wing, a shriek of a caw escaped from its beak from surprise. Its head reached under its wing, its black eyes meeting Mira's dim yellow.

Mira froze on the spot as Hoopoe's head twisted from side to side, unfamiliar with what she was. Hoopoe clicked it beak in decisiveness as Mira turned to rush back down the steps. There was a sudden jerk, causing Mira to shriek as Hoopoe's beak snatched the back end of the leathery carcass Mira had on her head. Lifting her out from the stair case, Hoopoe placed Mira on the corpse ridden ground, pecking at her with its beak.

Mira frantically struggled about, frightened beyond rational thinking, feeling Hoopoe's beak tear the leathery basilisk hide away. Slamming hand down on the ground, a dark explosion of magic threw all of the surrounding corpses into the air; flopping the recently dead basilisk about startling Hoopoe. Mira crawled across the ground to get away from the bird, pieces of carcasses falling around her as she got to the edge of a wall and pulled a thick slab of dried skin over her to hide.

Hoopoe flapped its wing around wildly, cawing at the floor, swiping its beak around, trying to upturn the dead to find its missing meal. Mira could barely see out from the slits in the dry skin, watching Hoopoe step closer and closer to her. Peeking out from under the skin, Mira could see the freshly killed basilisk slumped over nearby. Reaching out her hand, Mira's dark magic started to surround the basilisk corpse. With a swift motion of her hand, Mira's magic threw the snake corpse at Hoopoe, knocking it back as she ran towards the staircase. Mira felt Hoopoe's beak snap down on the back of her hair, pulling her off her feet as it lifted her in the air. Mira screamed; flailing helplessly as she Hoopoe began to beat its wings to fly off with her.

Something very large slammed into Hoopoe causing it to open its beak and let Mira drop to the floor. Amarok drive its fangs into the neck of Hoopoe, viciously trying to drag it the floor, all the while the raven screeched in agony. The giant grey wolf clawed at Hoopoe's chest, releasing its grasp upon its neck and driving its fangs into its wing; Hoopoe shrieked once more. Mira ran to the other side of the room, hiding behind the dead basilisk as Amarok tore into the raven. Hoopoe aimed a flurry of pecks at Amarok's face, forcing the wolf to let go before staggering over the ledge of the tower and gliding away into the darkness. In its teeth, Amarok held several long feather's from Hoopoe's wings as it breathed heavily growling at the distant raven.

"Rok?" Mira whispered stepping out from behind the basilisk.

Amarok ears perked up as its tail wagging side to side. Turning around to face her, Amarok crossed the room, feathers still in its mouth, rubbing it snout against Mira's head. Mira hugged the wolf's head tightly, whispering good boy over and over again.

"Thank you." Mira whispered to it.

Taking hold of the feathers in Amarok's mouth, Mira straightened them out before climbing atop the wolf's back; tucking the feathers beneath her.

"Home, Rok. Home." Mira whispered, grasping the back of its fur tightly.

Amarok strolled over to the staircase, ducking under the dead basilisk before quickly bounding down the stairs to the base of the ruined tower. Mira kept her head low, feeling the wind pass over her at the tremendous speed that Amarok ran. Several flights above the landing of the staircase, Amarok leaped out from a hole within the side of the tower onto a nearby rooftop of the desolate city block. Holding on, Mira watched Amarok nimbly run across the rooftops, bounding gracefully from rooftop to rooftop before racing down a broken archway that led back to the main streets. Amarok bolted through the streets once more, ducking in between buildings, cutting through narrow pathways, and sprinting across long empty streets; it would appear that nothing could catch the wolf when it was in its stride.

Soon, Amarok had reached the edge of the Valley of Shadows, slowing its pace, knowing that the area it was entering was free of any threats that the forgotten city held. Showing its playful side, Amarok leaped back and forth, shaking side to side, earning several laughs from Mira who enjoyed every bit of it. Eventually Amarok reached the point where Mira asked to be let off, and watched as she slid from its back still holding the enormous feathers under her arm. Amarok lowered itself to the ground, allowing Mira to wish it farewell as she pressed her face against the top of the wolf's head in thanks.

"I owe you one." Mira whispered lovingly to it. "Be careful out there."

Stepping away from the giant wolf, Amarok nudged its head against Mira's once more; feeling Mira give him a loving kiss for his trouble. Mira watched Amarok rise up and head back towards the forgotten city, wondering if the Lone Hunter was very much alone in the forgotten city as much as she was here in the Kingdom. Mira found herself waving goodbye to it, but quickly regained her focus gathering up the feathers under her arm and floated back to her home. Passing several ghost like figures that wandered aimlessly, staggering to and fro before dissipating into nothing once more. The familiar jutted rocks that marked her home came into view, a sense of urgency came about her at the thought of the Flame Pony not having as much time as she previously thought and hurried home faster.

Mira floated down into her cave, the feathers slightly rippling behind her. A large stone blocked her from going further, with a quick snap of her fingers several black barbed hands reached up from the ground below and pulled the rock down into the darkness; revealing a soft light coming from deeper in the cave. Just as Mira had entered passed the rock, the dark hands pushed the rock back into place to close off the entrance once more.

Lying on the ground within her cave was the greyish white Flame Pony named Glow. Its flame was very weak, the injuries she had sustained looked rather severe but Mira was not worried about them anymore. Laying out three whole feathers on the cave floor, Mira floated over to the other side of her cave to find the rest of the ingredients she'd need to heal the Flame Pony. Mira floated back carrying a black mass of lumpy goo in her hands; she applied a thick coating to one of the feathers. Flicking her hands of clean of the goo, Mira magically lifted the feather and crossed the cave to the Flame Pony. Carefully laying the feather down upon the length of the Flame Pony, Mira placed the tip of her finger on the edge of the feather, her eyes glowed a bright yellow; she carefully traced her finger across the feather end to end. The black goo started to bubble beneath the feather, the feather itself started to melt into the goo. It spread out across the Flame Pony's body, applying itself thin on its hide, nearly changing it from grey to black completely. The flames from her mane were still able to dance atop the black goo, and much to Mira's delight it seemed to grow little bit stronger with each passing moment.

"Hi." Glow whispered.

Mira turned to see that the Flame Pony named Glow had woken up. Floating over to her, Mira placed her hand upon Glow's head and stroking it gently trying to keep her at ease. Glow smiled weakly at her before sniffing the air, and a scowl formed across her face from the smell.

"What… am I… smelling?" Glow asked curiously; her face still in a scowl.

"You don't want to know." Mira replied.

Glow watched as Mira floated away to pick up the remaining two feathers and float across the cave to store them away. She could hardly move, but felt the need to thank her savior nonetheless.

"Thanks for saving me." Glow said with the best smile she could muster.

"Don't… mention it." Mira said hesitantly.

"Love your hair." Glow mentioned.

Mira looked a little surprised by that, taking her blue cloud like hair in her hands and looking at it closely. Feeling herself flush slightly, Mira tossed it back over her shoulder without much care.

"Have you seen… another… flame pony… around… here?" Glow asked, almost too tired to talk.

"I did. A while ago. I haven't seen it since." Mira replied floating back over to her with a strange purple liquid in a stone bowl.

"What's that?" Glow asked hesitantly as Mira started to tilt it to her lips.

"You don't want to know." Mira insisted placing the edge of the bowl to Glow's lips.

Glow reluctantly took a sip of it and nearly gagged from the taste.

"It's horrible, I know, but it will keep you alive." Mira explained, taking a drink from the bowl herself.

"Why… are you… helping me?" Glow asked curiously.

Mira didn't respond right away. In truth, once the Flame Pony was strong enough, she was going to trade her for Tier and spare the Void Walkers any more pain, but she didn't feel like sharing that right now.

"I need… your help." Mira said carefully.

"Okay." Glow replied, resting her head against the ground once more.

"Okay?" Mira asked looking surprised.

"You help me, and I'll help you. That's what friends do." Glow said with a smile.

"We're not friends." Mira pointed out.

"We were friends… the minute you… decided to help… me." Glow replied, her breathing becoming shorter; beginning to fall asleep once more.

"Who's that other Flame Pony out there?" Mira asked curiously.

"He's lost… so very lost…" Glow whispered quietly, her eyes closing to sleep.

Mira let out a long sigh. Drinking the rest of the purple liquid within the stone bowl, Mira put it aside and leaned against the Flame Pony named Glow to rest herself.

* * *

A blueish tint brought color to the darkness. I realized that my eyes were closed, that I was being stirred from my sleep by this light. Opening my eyes, I saw strands of what appeared to be blue star dust trickling in front of me. Lifting my head I found Mira was resting against my chest, sound asleep, her hair wafting in some unfelt wind. I was at a lost to where we were, my flames were burning mildly, illuminating the walls around us, proving to me that this was some sort of cave. Judging by Mira's calm sleep, I came to the conclusion that this was a safe place for the both of us to be.

I shifted my back legs, feeling some lingering pain in my muscles, but compared to what I had felt before it was a vast improvement. Looking at my forelegs, I could see the scars in my hide where it had cracked from absorbing the Great Dragon Char's fire. Some were less prominent then others, but with every breath I took the scars would outline the fire just below the surface. Looking over my shoulder I raised my wings to see how they were fairing, with some simple flaps I could tell and feel that they were no worse for wear.

"You should get some rest." Mira mumbled, shifting her position trying to get comfortable once more.

"Where are we?" I asked quietly, looking about.

"My home." Mira mumbled again.

Growing up in the Ashen Fields, I was accustomed to not having much, but Mira's home was bare of anything that would resemble homely. Nevertheless, I could feel that my body was still recovering, and that resting would probably be in my best interest. Resting my head back down, I took a deep breath closing my eyes, but questions kept popping into my head.

"How long have we been here?" I asked in a whisper.

"I don't know. A couple of days, perhaps?" Mira mumbled shifting her position once more. "We don't really keep track of time here."

"Did you treat my injuries?" I asked curiously.

"It took half a feather and I'll have to do so again if you don't let your body rest." Mira mumbled, sounding annoyed now.

"How come you talk in complete sentences now?" I asked.

I felt Mira's hands close around my mouth. I opened my eyes to see her yellow eyes staring back at me; her mouth shaped in a very unhappy frown.

"Stop talking." Mira hissed.

I nodded slowly. Watching her retreat back, Mira leaned against me to sleep once more. I closed my eyes again, doing my best not to let a question slip out. Stretching out a bit I found myself getting comfortable, feeling myself nearing sleep once again, but opening my mouth once more to speak.

"Thanks for saving me." I mumbled.

Mira turned to look at me. If I hadn't already fallen back to sleep I might have caught the guilty look she wore. Curling herself into a ball, Mira rested her head against the Flame Pony, silently watching him sleep, watching the flames from his mane gently dance in the darkness.

Reaching out her hand, Mira touched the fiery hoof, pulling licks of flames from it and holding them within the palms of her hands. The fire danced about, the light illuminating Mira's face as she stared deeply into the fire. The flames were pulled into Mira's hands, turning the green markings a shade of yellow, her blue hair having highlights of orange streak through, while Mira's eyes shone brightly for a moment before fading back to their normal dimness.

Closing her hands into fists, Mira pressed them against her face. Gritting her teeth, slowly hitting herself in the head with her own fists, hissing at herself in disgust, Mira unclenched her hands and covered her face with them. Dragging them down slowly, Mira glanced over at the Flame Pony, watching him sleep soundly, wondering how long she would keep her secrets from him.

"Don't… mention it." Mira whispered quietly, rolling back over and doing her best to sleep once more. "Stupid Flame Pony."


	4. Chapter 4: A Bleak but Crisp Winter

The Royal Carriages of the Frozen North gleamed in the morning sunlight. It was starkly contrasted by the dullness of the Ashen Fields. The Ice Ponies gathered next to one another beginning to exam the state the Ashen Fields were in first hoof. Aside from the Royal Family, it had been over a hundred years since an Ice Pony had ever stepped hoof in this land. Many whispered amongst themselves over the state of the Kingdom, but none more so then Winter Snow. His hide was Capri, a unicorn pony, his cloudy mane was a couple shades lighter, his cutie mark was that of a Blue Aquamarine crested within a shield, and dignified himself with a half circle cloak dyed to match his deep blue eyes. Everything about him screamed rich, spoiled, and snobby.

"Ugh." Winter muttered with his nose upturned.

"Winter!" An Ice Pony mare hissed at him.

"It _was_ a mistake coming here, Crisp. It _really_ is such a dreary place after all." Winter commented frowning at the barren and battle torn fields.

"That's why we are here, Winter. To help them rebuild." Crisp reminded him.

Crisp White was an electric blue earth pony. Her cloudy mane was mostly white with hints of blue streaks from time to time. Her cutie mark mirrored the Northern Lights to some degree, and quite possibly the only Ice Pony that willingly spoke with Winter.

"They should have let the dragon raze this place to the ground." Winter said coldly, noticing that his hooves had already been layered with loose dirt. "It's absolutely revolting here."

"Not as revolting as your Winter Berry punch the other night." An Ice Pony colt mumbled beside Winter.

"Take that back, Bleak! My families Winter Berry juice has been passed down for over ten generations and has won countless awards for its taste and smoothness!" Winter snapped angrily.

"It's about the only thing ponies can stomach about your family." Bleak mumbled again, earning a snicker from Crisp and a loud gasp from Winter.

Bleak Weather was a pegasi pony, colored a Royal blue with a cloudy mane of that almost resembled a purple. Although his colors may have been rich, Bleak was far from being a wealthy pony; even his name seemed to have a sort of a depressing ring to it. His cutie mark was that of a white sword, wings fanning out from the hilt. Winter considered him a lower class Ice Pony due to his meager lifestyle but Bleak never seemed to care which took the only insult Winter had against him.

"Attention every pony!" Lord Tundra said aloud turning to face the group of them.

Winter held his tongue, letting this momentary intermission give him time to really think of a good comeback to hit Bleak with. Bleak didn't seem at all worried, his attention was half focused on Lord Tundra while the other half examined the repairs going on with the castle. Crisp was very eager to listen to Lord Tundra's words, excited to be part of the first group of Ice Ponies to return to the Kingdom of Fire.

"You are representatives of the Frozen North, I expect each and every pony here to put their best hoof forward and make themselves examples of what Ice Ponies really are. We have been blessed with our good graces over the years, free from any sort of hardships, allowing the troubles of Equestria stop at our borders. This is our first step in rebuilding, not only our relationships with the outside world, but the lives of some of these Flame Ponies." Lord Tundra announced glancing around the group of them.

Lady Frost turned around to see Wingston riding towards them atop the back of Hearth. Being lowered to the ground, Wingston limped towards the group of Ice Ponies, his staff thudding across the dirt. There were a lot of bewildered stares coming his way from every Ice Pony as Lord Tundra took notice of what they were looking at.

"Show the Steward of Castle of Char and the Flame Ponies the same reverence and respect you would show Lady Frost or myself." Lord Tundra concluded, raising his wing over Wingston to signify the Steward he spoke of.

"That's the Steward?" Bleak asked with his raised brow.

"It's disgusting!" Winter remarked, covering his mouth with his hoof.

"It kind of looks like a gnome. With a really big stick." Crisp suggested, tilting her head to the side trying to figure out what was under the cloak.

"I am Wingston, Steward of Castle Char, and very grateful for your eventual help in these coming weeks." Wingston said to the group of Ice Ponies.

"Weeks?" Winter whispered in fright.

"Wingston will inform you of your duties in a moment, for time being please recess to the Main Hall of Castle Char and wait there until further instruction." Lady Frost commanded.

"Should we use the front door? Or shall we be entering through the gaping hole in the wall?" Winter remarked coldly.

"With the size of your flank? I would suggest just waiting outside until they can build you a bigger door." Bleak replied following the group towards the Main Doors.

"Why I never! Crisp! Tell me, does this cloak make me look fat? Mother said it looked divine. You can be honest with me." Winter asked in a huff, striking several poses in front of her; trying his best to examine his own flank.

"You're fine, Winter. Just try and keep that mouth shut for a while." Crisp replied, pushing him forward to follow the group.

"I don't know what Bleak's problem is, I'm merely making some observation about the poor conditions in which this Kingdom has been-" Winter's voice trailed away as Twilight and her friends approached Lord Tundra and Lady Frost.

"Good morning, Lady Frost, Lord Tundra, it's a pleasure to see you again." Twilight said as she and the others bowed their heads before them.

"Good morning every pony, I see that you are ready for your trip to the Frozen North." Lady Frost said in a bubbly voice.

"We hope it won't be too much trouble." Twilight replied.

"No trouble at all, Princess Celestia sent us a letter about the situation and we couldn't be more thrilled to have you staying with us." Lady Frost reassured them.

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked in surprise.

"We already have rooms specially prepared for you when we arrive. I hope you packed warmly, it does tend to get a little nippy up North." Lady Frost said gesturing them towards the carriages.

"A little nippy?" Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash.

The Royal Pegasi Ice Ponies assisted Twilight and her friends with the bags, loading a majority of it in one of the carriages while ushering the ponies themselves into another. The inside of the chariot was just as glamorous as the outside of the carriage was, having silk seat cushions with gold plated door handles. It was a very luxurious way to travel, it was quite roomie, capable of transporting at least twelve to fifteen ponies at a time, although the carriage didn't seem to be insulated which prompted the ponies to hold onto their winter coats when they got closer to the North. Much to their surprise the newly retired General Hearth boarded their carriage as well.

"What are you doing, General?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"I'm going to the Frozen North, just like the rest of you." Hearth replied, closing the carriage door behind him.

"I can see that, but why?" Rainbow Dash asked again.

"I had some family move there a long time ago. Seeing as I have some newfound free time on my hooves, I thought I would reconnect with them." Hearth explained the inside of the carriage to the window seat at the other side.

"I didn't know you had more family other than Ray and her parents." Twilight remarked curiously.

"After my father's passing, just before the Mad King had declared war, my brothers and sisters fled the Ashen Fields to the North to escape the horrors here. I could not go with them, so I stayed behind to protect my own family." Hearth explained.

"We had no idea how displaced you were." Rarity remarked sadly.

"I haven't heard from them since they left, I've heard from reliable sources that they had made it the North, but contact with them was never a possibility." Hearth said trying to sound a bit more positive.

"I'm sure they'll be more than happy to see you again." Applejack said reassuringly.

"We can throw a big party! A family reunion of the Hearths!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed in excitement.

"Perhaps we should hold off on a party until we get settled in, I'd rather not play pin the tail on the snowpony in subzero temperatures." Rainbow Dash remarked.

With all the carriages packed and ready to go, Lady Frost and Lord Tundra turned to Wingston to say their goodbyes.

"Rest assured that they will be in good hooves during their stay in the Frozen North." Lord Tundra promised to Wingston.

"As will your ponies here." Wingston replied bowing his head to them.

"We heard that Smolder has a good chance of returning, and that our little Sapphire is haybent on seeing this come to fruition." Lady Frost mentioned.

"I am very grateful for her help." Wingston replied.

"We shall keep you informed of her progress and if any new developments she and others might come up with." Lord Tundra said reassuringly.

"I would appreciate that." Wingston said humbly.

With the transition done, Lady Frost and Lord Tundra retreated back to their own carriage as the Royal Pegasi Ice Ponies signaled to one another that they were ready to take off. A running start had the carriages rolling, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack waved goodbye from inside the carriage to all the Flame Ponies outside. The carriages became airborne, flying over the fields towards the North leaving behind the Ashen Fields and its ponies.

"Wherever you are Smolder, I hope to Celestia you are safe." Wingston mumbled to himself.

Turning around, Wingston started to limp back towards the Castle, his new staff digging into the dirt easier and proving to be a perfect replacement to his old one. Slowing his pace, Wingston looked over his shoulder to see the Obelisks standing in the distance, the voice from the ruined Void mirror echoing how it would take Smolder; how it did.

"Although I fear that you're in grave danger, and I am sad that you must face this alone." Wingston whispered with a sigh.

* * *

Inside the Main Hall of Castle Char, many Flame Ponies were working on repairing much of the damage. Many wandering eyes were focusing in on the group of Ice Ponies that were waiting patiently for Wingston to return. Many colts gazed longingly at the Icey mares, causing several to crash into walls while others fell off scaffolding, earning them some jeers and giggles from the Ice Ponies. Although, three Ice Ponies in particular were in their own little world.

"Sweet Celestia it's worse on the inside." Winter uttered in disbelief scanning the Main Hall.

"Winter!" Crisp snapped at him.

"Why must everything be black? The floors, the ceiling, the walls… what's left of them anyway. They must choose it to hide the dirt. I mean really, do they not have servants to at least sweep the dirt out?" Winter complained, shaking his hooves free from the dust that gathered on them.

"A little dirt never hurt." Bleak replied glancing at his own hoof.

"Honestly Winter, don't embarrass us on our first day. Keep your comments to yourself or I'll feed you your cloak." Crisp hissed threateningly to him.

Both Winter and Bleak looked at her with surprise, noticing the hostility in her voice, but her point came across as Winter cleared his throat and occupied himself with wiping the dirt from under his hooves. Several Flame Ponies busy with repairs to Castle Char were seen stealing glances at the group of Ice Ponies, whispers were abound about who they were and if any would be lucky enough to be working with some of them. Luckily, a familiar thudding rang out through the Main Hall, drawing every Ice Pony's attention once more as Wingston limped inside followed by General Horizon and the newly appointed Treasurer Golden Fleece.

"I would like to welcome you all to Castle Char, I am Wingston, the Steward. You already knew that, I am a bat for any of you who were wondering." Wingston said aloud coming to a stop a few feet away from the Ice Ponies.

Several Ice Ponies turned to one another nodding their heads, whispering to each other about how they had guessed or wouldn't have guessed that.

"If there is something that needs my immediate attention, do not hesitate to approach me. If it is something that doesn't threaten the Kingdom, I would have you seek out our General, Ray Horizon." Wingston explained further motioning to Ray over his shoulder.

"That's really something! She's probably my age and already a General!" Crisp whispered in admiration.

There was a sudden wolf-whistling that sprung up from the group of Ice Ponies on Ray's behalf. Ray flushed slightly at the cat calling while the Ice Ponies looked to one another to see who had done the deed. Winter was right next to the culprit, it being Bleak who smiled very mischievously at the Flame Pony General.

"You can't be serious?" Winter remarked in disbelief.

"There is a ray of light breaking through this bleak winter and I'm looking to the horizon." Bleak said longingly, his face relaxing into a love stricken grin.

"You fall in love with any mare you see, it's really pathetic." Crisp remarked, shaking her head disappointingly at Bleak.

"At least I don't repel every colt I come across like I was some diseased infested turkey." Bleak mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Crisp asked savagely, her mane flaring in anger.

"Winter said it, not me." Bleak said quickly, passing the buck to a bewildered Winter.

"I would never say such a thing to your face, only behind your back." Winter said in his defense."

"If you have any concerns, questions, or other issues I would have you reach out to our Treasurer Golden Fleece. She will be assigning you your positions, your accommodations, and any requests you may have to make your stay here more comfortable." Wingston said turning to the Flame Pony at his other shoulder.

"I wonder if they have a suggestion box?" Winter asked curiously looking around.

"Drop it." Crisp warned him.

"Stay away from the mines unless accompanied by a designated Flame Pony, and do not enter the Dark Marsh under any circumstance. Your help will is already greatly appreciated. Any questions?" Wingston concluded, looking around at the lot of them.

Winter threw his hoof up immediately, only to have Crisp yank it back time quickly and watch her growl threateningly at him.

"Alright then, Golden Fleece will tell you where you need to go." Wingston concluded, bowing his head to the Ice Ponies before limping away.

"Hi every pony, I'm Golden Fleece, you can call me Goldie though. When you hear your name please come forward and I'll give you your assignment. Let me know if there's a problem and I'll address it right afterwards." Goldie said in a bubbly manner.

"She seems nice." Crisp remarked.

"Of course she is, we're doing this for free." Winter reminded her.

"That's what volunteering is, stupid." Bleak mumbled under his breath.

"I am this close to throwing down the gauntlet and having a match of hoof to cuffs with you!" Winter remarked showing him small space between his nearly touching hooves.

"Cut it out right now the both of you or will swear to Celestia I will beat the living hay out of you until you kiss and make up!" Crisp hissed at them, grinding her teeth.

Winter and Bleak glanced at each other nervously, sliding away from each other at the thought of having to kiss. Several Ice Ponies had been called up, leaving towards different parts of the Castle while some left outside.

"Winter Snow Junior?" Goldie asked aloud, followed by a snort from Bleak.

"Winter is fine, thank you." Winter said, approaching Goldie; walking a very elegant stride.

"You'll be helping Ruby Simmer at the bakery." Goldie said handing him a stone slate.

"Is that a rock?" Winter asked looking weirdly at the slate.

"It's a rock slate. It has your information written on it." Goldie said to him, still holding it out.

"With what? Dirt?" Winter asked looking uneasy.

"Charcoal." Goldie replied.

"A bakery? Isn't there some sort of uptown restaurant in Canterlot you need me in, or something?" Winter asked hesitantly, looking rather hopeful.

"Uh… no." Goldie said flatly.

"JUST TAKE THE SLATE!" Crisp shouted from the back; prompting Winter to snatch the slate almost immediately with his magic.

"Just walk outside the Main Doors and head towards the Narrows." Goldie informed him, pointing down the dirt path.

"How… quaint." Winter mumbled bitterly, slowly marching towards the main doors.

"Crisp White?" Goldie asked, looking down at the next slate.

"Hi! That's me! Crisp! Crisp White! Ice Pony, but I'm sure you already knew that." Crisp said very eagerly; nervously giggling to herself.

"It says you requested to help with agriculture." Goldie remarked looking over the slate.

"Yes! You wouldn't believe how hard it is to grow something up North! It's just snow and ice all day long! No sun for weeks and then sometimes it never sets." Crisp rambled on nervously.

"Well I'm sure Mr. Pitchstone will be happy to have you helping him." Goldie said brightly.

"Oh thank you! I promise I won't let you down!" Crisp squealed in excitement taking the slate from her and almost sprinting out the main doors.

While the next Ice Pony's name was called, Bleak had shifted his way through the group of Ice Ponies; attempting to get closer to Ray. Eventually reaching the outside of the circle, Bleak did his best not to seem too eager to catch Ray's eyes. He tried some stretching, hoping to turn her head, but no luck. He then tried flurrying his mane, sending snowflakes trickling down his mane, but still no dice. Deciding for a more drastic approach, Bleak formed a ball of ice in his hooves, balancing it on his wing; Bleak tossed it across the Main Hall as it shattered drawing every pony's attention for a brief moment.

"I wonder what that as?" Bleak asked innocently, carefully strolling up a little closer to Ray who was turned around trying to determine the origin of the noise.

"Probably some clumsy pony." Ray remarked with a small frown.

Ray turned back around to see Bleak standing near her, looking around the Main Hall, doing his best not to seem too interested in her. He caught her staring at him in confused manner and it opened the door for Bleak to speak once more.

"Is my ice bothering you?" Bleak asked innocently, trying to wave away his cloudy mane.

"No, no… you're fine." Ray replied.

"Sorry, new place, new ponies, I'm a little nervous." Bleak said, trying to seem meek.

"I know the feeling. What did you volunteer for?" Ray asked, initiating small talk.

"Well… no it's not worth mentioning." Bleak said, trying to end the conversation there.

"No, really, tell me." Ray insisted, sounding curious.

"I volunteered to help clear some rocks." Bleak said in a sad tone.

"You don't sound too happy about it." Ray pointed out.

"You see I always wanted to be knight for the North, but I come from a rather low class family. Only high class Ice Ponies can become knights or soldiers. So I spend my day's just shoveling snow, or in this case rocks." Bleak remarked with a defeated sigh.

"Bleak Weather?" Goldie called out looking around.

"Well, that's me. It was nice speaking with you." Bleak said with a sigh and a smile.

Bleak did his best to seem depressed, he knew that any minute Ray would crack and step in.

"Wait! I just remembered I needed an extra pony to help out with patrols!" Ray spoke up, rushing over to Goldie and placing her hoof over Bleak's slate.

" _Right on time."_ Bleak thought to himself with a coy smile.

"Well he isn't trained to do that sort of thing, Ray." Goldie said looking unsure.

"I don't want to cause any trouble." Bleak said, hamming up his act.

"It's nothing dangerous, he'll be with seasoned soldiers, and it's something he's always wanted to do." Ray told Goldie.

Ray leaned in closer to whisper.

"He comes from a lower class of Ice Ponies." Ray said under her breath.

Goldie, having lived in the Frozen North for most of her life knew of the class structure present within the Kingdom and knew that this was a chance for the colt to have a shot of becoming a soldier pony.

"Alright then, no problem at all. I'll leave him in your capable hooves." Goldie said with a reassuring smile.

Ray thanked her before returning back to Bleak who tried to look appreciative and sheepish at the same time.

"You didn't have to do that." Bleak mumbled.

"Forget about it, but I'll warn you now that this isn't going to be easy. You'll have to work hard just like any other pony here." Ray said with a warm smile.

"You can count on me, General." Bleak said, throwing her a salute.

" _Bleak you are one smooth criminal."_ Bleak thought to himself.

Bleak's smile quickly faded as a Flame Pony colt strolled over to the two of them.

"Solar? What are you doing here?" Ray asked curiously.

" _Who the hay is this? The pony's face is like a statue, there is no emotion coming from it. He must be hardcore."_ Bleak thought to himself sizing him up.

Bleak watched as the Flame Pony named Solar leaned over and kissed the cheek of his beloved Ray. Ray's mane plumed with fire, her face flushing a deep red as she gave him a soft shove in her embarrassment.

"We had a lunch date." Solar reminded her.

"It's not noon yet." Ray said, unable to look him in the eye.

Solar looked towards the giant hole in the castle to gauge the height of the sun and came to the conclusion she was right. Without a word he leaned in close, his face unchanging, Ray's face burning red hot, flames flaring on her back.

"How about brunch instead?" Solar offered.

"S-S-Sure." Ray mumbled nervously.

Ray glanced over at Bleak who was staring rather maniacally at Solar, one eye twitching while his mane showered snowflakes across the floor. Clearing her throat, Ray whistled aloud, drawing Spinel and Topaz to walk over.

"Yes, General?" Topaz asked, throwing a quick salute.

"This here is Bleak Weather, he's our newest recruit, get him situated and give him a crash course on how we do things." Ray instructed them.

"Right away, General." Topaz replied motioning to Bleak to follow.

"Good luck." Ray said encouragingly.

Bleak did not respond, following the Flame Ponies silently, his gaze fixated on Solar who remained expressionless the entire time.

" _Go ahead, enjoy your time with my Ray, soon I will be as hardcore as you. Then I will win her heart and you will be nothing but a footnote on how I became the single most awesome pony to have ever lived."_ Bleak thought to himself before removing his gaze from Solar.

"So… where did you want to eat?" Ray asked curiously, fidgeting nervously.

"My place." Solar said in his normal monotone voice.

"Your place?" Ray asked in disbelief, flushing furiously.

Solar had already started walking towards the Main Entrance, leaving Ray to choose to follow him or cancel the brunch right then and there, but Ray's heart was thumping too loudly for her to hear what her brain was trying to tell her and followed him anyways.


	5. Chapter 5: Brunch with Tea

While living in Manehattan, a pony gets used to seeing some pretty strange things from time to time. There are street preforming ponies, new businesses opening, long lines, crowded streets, back alley spells that go terribly wrong, Discord, ponies that eat pizza with a fork, just to name a few things, but standing in an elevator with the Princess of the Frozen North was pretty new for Florence and Chapel; not so much for Tea.

Princess Sapphire had promised to explain everything to Tea, as well as her friends, of what had transpired in the Ashen Field s, only after acquiring her lantern. This prompted Tea to explain that it was pack at her parent's apartment downtown, which had every pony rushing to retrieve it.

The elevator music played softly. The elevator would stop on every floor, ding loudly, the doors would slide open for a few seconds before sliding closed once more, and continue to repeat the process on the next floor. Princess Sapphire had never been on an elevator before and thought that it was required to press every button to have the machine to work but it had proved to be a huge mistake. Florence and Chapel were kind enough not to roll their eyes or make any snide remarks about the very long elevator ride to Tea's floor but Tea had no problem giving a very loud and audible sigh every time they stopped; Sapphire's faced soured more with each sigh.

"Your Majesty?" Florence asked cautiously after the sixteenth floor.

"You can call me Princess Sapphire." Sapphire offered.

"That's doesn't make it any easier." Tea pointed out.

"I was just trying to be less formal than usual. I found that Smolder connected with ponies easier when they didn't refer to him by such titles." Sapphire explained.

"So… can we call you Sapphire then?" Chapel asked curiously.

"Don't get ahead of yourselves, I hardly know you ponies, and I don't rightly know why you came along in the first place." Sapphire replied looking over her shoulder at the two of them.

"They didn't believe I went to Smolder's Coronation." Tea remarked, looking a little annoyed as well.

"By Celestia, why would any pony lie about that?" Princess Sapphire asked sounding surprised.

"Tea is one of the blandest ponies in all of Manehattan! How could she get mixed up in Royalty with her dry sense of humor?" Florence stated in their defense.

"Hey!" Tea shouted, flushing slightly.

"I will admit, I too did not believe Tea to be friends with King Smolder." Princess Sapphire remarked thinking back on it.

"How did you two exactly meet?" Chapel asked, trying to get some much needed answers.

"That's not important right now, we must retrieve Ms. Herbal's lantern if we are to rescue King Smolder." Princess Sapphire insisted.

"Yeah about that..." Tea began, wanting to know more about what had happened.

The elevator dinged loudly, the doors opened once more. Luckily for every pony, this floor was the one that had Tea's apartment on. Filing out of the elevator, Tea decided to hold off her questions for the moment as she fumbled with her bag for her keys. Walking a ways down the hallway, the four mares stopped outside the apartment door numbered '331'.

The sounds of dishes clanking together could be heard from the other side of the door, informing Tea and the other ponies that some pony was home. Tea checked the doorknob to see that it wasn't locked and opened the door.

"Mom?" Tea asked aloud.

"Tea, honey? Is that you?" A voice called out from within the apartment.

Opening the door all the way, Tea entered the apartment with Princess Sapphire, Chapel, and Florence following behind her. Chapel and Florence had been over many times before but this was the first time Princess Sapphire had ever visited a commoner pony's home.

The apartment had hard wood floors, the walls were painted an egg shell white, there was a small dining room table off the side, while the living room just several feet away. The kitchen was to the right of the front door; it seemed large enough for two ponies to comfortably move around, while a hallway led to the bedrooms. Princess Sapphire was amazed by the quaintness of the apartment, taking interest in the bookcase that held several books and knickknacks.

"Hey, Mom, I… uh… brought some friends over." Tea announced aloud.

From the kitchen a yellow-green mare strolled out, holding a dish towel in her hooves to greet them. She was an older mare, her mane was a yellow-orange, braided and draped over her shoulder. Her cutie mark was that of a tea cup. She seemed rather surprised to see Tea back from class so early, noticing the familiar faces of her friends but taking a very surprised notice of the Ice Pony carefully inspecting her collectable ceramic Barn Babies figurines.

"Tea, sweetie, is everything okay?" Her mother asked, sounding concerned.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet… uh… Princess Sapphire of the Frozen North." Tea introduced. "Princess Sapphire, this is my mother, Chamomile Tea."

Sapphire took notice of her name, drawing herself away from the Barn Babies, she approached Tea's mother elegantly, bowing her head to her.

"Excuse my unannounced visit into your lovely home, Ms. Tea; I am in desperate need of your daughter's help." Princess Sapphire informed her.

"Sweet Celestia, look how thin you are!" Chamomile stated in shock.

Chamomile took hold of Sapphire's face, turning her head side to side to get a better look at her.

"Mom!" Tea shouted, face flushed, sounding extremely embarrassed.

"You're practically wasting away on all that Royal garbage that costs an arm and foreleg to make." Chamomile said shaking her head in disappointment. "Have a seat, dearie, I'll make you something to eat in a jiffy."

Chamomile retreated back to the kitchen, with Tea quickly following her.

"Mom, we're not here to eat!" Tea insisted, watching her mother start to pull cooking pots from the cabinets.

"I can't sit by and watch a pony go hungry, Tea. Now you and your friends sit at the table while I make cook something up for you lot." Chamomile insisted, turning on the stove.

"Really, Ms. Tea, we were merely-" Sapphire began.

"Sit down!" Chamomile shouted almost threateningly at the four mares.

No pony needed to be told twice. Chapel, Florence, and Sapphire quickly sat themselves down at the dining room table while Tea begrudgingly strolled over to join them; her face a deep shade of green.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Another voice called out from down the hall.

Tea seemed to perk up at this voice; a smile couldn't help but crawl across her face at the sound of this pony. From the hallway an older grey colt strolled out into the living room, his mane was black with minor streaks of white. His cutie mark was that of a stethoscope. He wore a white doctor's coat, with blue scrubs underneath. What was most impressive was the goatee he sported that framed his face so well, it seemed almost criminal for him not to be a professional model; this was Tea's father.

"Everything is fine, Earl, Tea has some of her friends over for a late breakfast." Chamomile informed him from the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be in class, sweetheart?" Tea's father asked her.

"Something came up." Tea said sheepishly.

He walked right over to Tea, his hoof around her shoulders, pulled her in for a quick kiss on the head. Tea lit up from this, flushing slightly from having her friends around to see it.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine, Princess Sapphire of the Frozen North." Tea introduced once more. "Princess Sapphire, this is my father, Dr. Earl Grey."

"I can see where Tea gets her inspiration from in wanting to become a doctor." Princess Sapphire said, holding out her hoof across the table to him.

"You look a little thin, Princess Sapphire." Earl pointed out, raising a brow at her.

"I'm already handling it, dear!" Chamomile shouted from the kitchen.

Princess Sapphire flushed slightly, watching Tea groan in embarrassment as her father walked into the kitchen.

"Are you going to be late coming home tonight, Earl?" Chamomile asked curiously.

"Hopefully not too late, the hospital is currently understaffed at the moment, but I wouldn't wait up." Earl replied, giving Chamomile a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Have a good day, dear." Chamomile said watching him head for the door.

"You too, sweetie." Earl said, taking a satchel off the coat rack and draping it over his shoulder.

"Bye, Dad." Tea said with a wave.

"Goodbye, Dr. Grey." Florence and Chapel said together.

"Have a good day, sweetheart." Tea's father said with a smile, giving Tea a small wink before leaving the apartment.

"He seems nice." Princess Sapphire stated approvingly.

"He's almost always busy though." Chapel commented.

"Tea said she wanted to become a doctor pony so she could spend more time with him." Florence remarked, much to Tea's embarrassment.

"That was when I was just a filly!" Tea snapped, flushing once more.

"And yet, here you are, almost a full grown pony, on her way to becoming a doctor." Chapel replied with teasing smile. "She gets to spend even more time with her Dad now because he can help her study."

"I commend Ms. Herbal for picking such a respected profession. Her father is a fine role model for her." Sapphire stated.

"Well of course he is. We're just giving Tea a hard time about it." Florence remarked, rolling her eyes.

"Why would you wish to give Ms. Herbal a hard time?" Sapphire asked in surprise.

"It's just what friends do. They give each other a hard time." Chapel informed her.

"It seems very one sided, if not in very poor taste." Sapphire stated, not liking the idea at all.

"They are just giving me a hard time because of how my parents are." Tea explained to her. "If I was to bring up Chapel's pudding fiasco from two weeks ago…"

"You promised to never speak of that again!" Chapel shouted; mortified at the topic of conversation Tea was trying to start.

"Pudding Fiasco?" Sapphire asked confused.

"We were in between classes, breaking for lunch, when Chapel here spotted the handsome colt from 2A." Florence began, with Chapel shushing her to be quiet. "Chapel decided that she was going to get his attention by dropping her pudding cup 'accidently' as she walked by him. Hoping that he would return it to her and start a conversation."

"Why not simply approach this colt and make your interest in speaking with him known? Why go through all the trouble of staging a scenario with deception and pudding cups?" Sapphire asked curiously.

"Because she's a big chicken and was too embarrassed to approach him." Tea informed her.

"Can we just drop it?" Chapel asked, flushing, and sounding very annoyed.

"Oh, she dropped it alright, but the poor cult didn't see it happen until he stepped on it." Florence replied, trying hard not to laugh.

"What happened?" Sapphire asked looking very much interested.

"No! No more! Let's talk about something else!" Chapel shouted, face burning red.

"You girls behave yourselves!" Chamomile called from the kitchen.

"The colt ends up stepping on the pudding cup, slipping right into Beverly Morningstar." Tea said, much to Chapel's horror.

"Who is Beverly Morningstar?" Sapphire asked curiously.

"Only the prettiest pony in the entire Academy." Florence replied.

Sapphire watched as Chapel let her head drop onto the table, covering her head with her hooves, groaning in embarrassment.

"I fail to see the fiasco." Sapphire stated in confusion.

"The colt and Morningstar started dating the very next day." Tea explained to her.

"Which would mean that Ms. Chapel was unsuccessful in her attempt to speak with a colt, and inadvertently led him straight into the arms of another mare?" Sapphire asked, starting to put the pieces together.

"You got it." Florence said with a smile.

"Why not simply make your feeling known to this colt? Why not fight for his affection?" Sapphire asked, sounding almost annoyed.

"Morningstar is the prettiest pony at the Academy, no colt would-" Chapel began.

"A pony's worth is not based on appearance, if you truly believe that this colt is worth your time then summon up the courage to tell him so or don't bother wasting your time." Sapphire stated, cutting her off.

"Princess Sapphire, it's just a crush, ponies get them all the time. You enjoy your crushes like you enjoy candy, its' okay to have once in a while but you don't want it for a steady diet." Florence explained to her.

"You really think I'm wasting my time?" Chapel asked, sounding a bit curious.

"If this colt has not noticed your merits or strengths at this point, I would suggest looking elsewhere for a colt that will appreciate you for what you are and not worry about a colt noticing you for how you look." Sapphire stated.

Chapel smiled to herself. She looked empowered by Sapphire's words, no longer embarrassed, but feeling better about the whole pudding fiasco. Tea and Florence noticed this as well, they were impressed that Sapphire chose to encourage Chapel rather than poke fun. Realizing that Sapphire carried herself in a different way; a way that put more emphasis on character than appearance. That she needed to be confident in her own abilities to earn the respect from her royal peers.

"So… what about you, Princess Sapphire? Did you make your feelings known to any colt?" Chapel asked curiously.

There was a slight flush of purple that flashed across Sapphire's face, her cloudy mane showering several more snowflakes then before. Clearing her throat, Sapphire closed her eyes and sat up straight.

"A Princess does not speak of such private matters in mixed company." Sapphire stated bluntly.

"Says who?" Florence asked, not buying a word of it.

"Says… the rules." Sapphire said after pausing for a moment.

"What rules?" Chapel asked, raising a brow at this.

"Was one of the rules forcing Smolder to marry you?" Tea asked hotly, flushing at her own words.

Florence and Chapel gasped at this. Sapphire shot Tea a very dirty look. Her mane flourishing several more snowflakes as her face turned a deeper purple.

"If you _must_ know, the laws set by our Kingdom demanded that an arranged marriage between a Prince and myself was to happen. It was a tradition based solely on my inability to find a suitable partner before my eighteenth birthday." Sapphire stated, trying to remain professional about this.

"So you were forced to marry King Smolder?" Chapel asked, wanting to hear more.

"My parents assured me that the Flame Pony Prince was a good pairing for me, but I was skeptical to say the least." Sapphire replied, refusing to reveal anything more.

"That's when they caught her in his bedroom." Tea mentioned quickly, looking away to avoid Sapphire's menacing glare.

"What were you doing in his bedroom?" Chapel and Florence asked at the same time.

"I hardly see how this is an appropriate conversation." Sapphire stated, doing her best to drop the subject.

"I hardly see how it's appropriate to be in his bedroom." Tea mumbled under her breath.

"If you are insinuating that I was there under… under… immoral pretenses th-th-th-then you are grossly mistaken!" Sapphire snapped at her, flushing once more.

"You seemed pretty comfortable touching him with your horn!" Tea shouted in protest.

"A spiritual reading requires the medium to make contact with in such manners. It is a highly respected act amongst our ponies and often sought after by those seeking spiritual enlightenment." Sapphire explained in her defense.

"You could have just gotten him a gift card." Tea mumbled, still hot under the saddle.

"Smolder had already refused the arranged marriage proposal. I told you so at the party! I do not see why you are still so- so- so- so shrill about this!" Sapphire exclaimed, feeling her mane flurry more snow.

"Any pony can see that you have feelings for him, don't pretend you don't!" Tea shouted back.

"Of course I do!" Sapphire shouted.

"So you admit you care about him!" Tea stated.

Sapphire and Tea were nearly out of their chairs, faces flushed, glaring at one another while Chapel and Florence were glued to their seats; expecting some pony to start throwing hooves. Luckily, for every pony, Chamomile emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of pancakes.

"Who wants pancakes?" Chamomile asked allowed, placing the tray on the middle of the dining room table.

"What's a pancake?" Sapphire asked, reseating herself; attempting to calm down.

"What's a pancake?" Chapel and Florence asked together in surprise.

"Has your mother never cooked you pancakes before, dear?" Chamomile asked curiously, retrieving plates from the cabinet.

"My… my mother doesn't cook. She's tried before but my father has taken ill after every one of her attempts." Sapphire remarked, her spirits lifting from the alluring aroma of the pancakes.

"So what do you normally eat?" Tea asked, falling victim to the delectable smell of her mother's pancakes.

"Whatever the Royal Dietitian deems acceptable." Sapphire replied, magically lifting a few pancakes to her plate.

"What's acceptable?" Chapel asked curiously.

"Juniper berries, toast, and water." Sapphire replied.

Staring down at her pancakes, Sapphire looked around the table to see Tea, Chapel, and Florence cutting small portions away from the whole of the pancake. Figuring out the proper method of consuming her pancakes, Sapphire magically lifted her fork to sheer off a piece before lifting it into her mouth. Chamomile returned with several cups and a pitcher of apple juice.

"How is it, dear?" Chamomile asked.

"Are pancakes always this delicious?" Sapphire asked, looking very excited.

"Only when my Mom makes them." Tea replied.

Four more pancakes magically levitated into the air before dropping down onto Sapphire's plate. Every pony watched as Sapphire eagerly devoured them, unable to contain the pure bliss she was experiencing from the delicious taste of Chamomile's pancakes. Satisfied that Sapphire was eating so earnestly, Chamomile turned her attention to Tea who seemed to be enjoying her pancakes as well.

"Tea, honey, you never told me why came home so early." Chamomile pointed out.

"Oh, well, you see… we… uh…" Tea began, putting down her fork and looking to Chapel and Florence for help.

Neither Florence nor Chapel offered any.

"Ms. Herbal is in possession of a lantern that holds the key of saving the King of Flame Ponies from another dimension, known as the Void, which consumed him, his entire family, and an Elder Dragon named Char." Sapphire stated, wiping her mouth with her napkin in a dignified way. "I came to Manehattan seeking her help in saving this Flame Pony."

"You mean Smolder?" Chamomile asked curiously.

"You know him?" Sapphire asked in surprise.

"He's all Tea ever talks about." Chamomile replied; much to Tea's horrified look.

"Back up! What happened to Smolder?" Tea asked, looking just as confused as Florence and Chapel were.

"Yes, well, I did promise you an explanation of what had transpired." Sapphire said, trying to figure out where to start.

"Gather your thoughts, dear; you ponies can discuss it in length in Tea's room." Chamomile stated gathering up the dishes. "But first, Tea, honey, you can help me with the clean-up."

Tea grumbled. Gathering up her own dishes, Tea followed her mother into the kitchen while Florence, Chapel and Sapphire moved to the living room to wait for her. Chamomile was quick to begin washing the few dishes they had while Tea was assigned drying duty. Tea knew her mother ran a tight ship around here and that she wouldn't let Tea shirk her chores.

"Sapphire seems like a nice pony." Chamomile remarked, handing her a wet plate.

"I guess so." Tea mumbled, not entirely onboard with that statement.

"It must be so hard trying to fit in with such regular ponies." Chamomile continued.

"Whatever." Tea mumbled again, putting the plate away.

"Reminds me of how hard you said it was for Smolder to fit in." Chamomile mentioned.

Tea paused for a moment, turning to look at her mother who was looking right back at her. She could tell that her mother was referring to the conversation from earlier when their voices were raised.

"Sometimes pain can be on the inside, honey; most ponies can't see it unless they've been through it too." Chamomile said passing her the last wet plate.

"This is different, Mom." Tea remarked defensively.

Chamomile gave Tea a small kiss on the cheek before exiting the kitchen. Tea did not like the notion of trying to befriend Sapphire, but a part of her knew that it was the right thing to do. Putting the plate away, Tea left the kitchen to find Sapphire shaking her mane back and forth. Florence and Chapel stood near her, catching the falling snowflakes from her mane and watching them slowly melt in their hooves.

"Let's… go to my room." Tea said slowly, getting their attention.

Tea's room was painted soft baby blue, white curtains on a window facing the street, and a small ceiling fan that spun slowly. Her room was just big enough to fit the four comfortably, the bed acting as a makeshift couch that Florence and Chapel immediately took while Sapphire stood beside it. There two bookshelves filled with textbooks, medical books, and fictional books; small figurines of cartoon themed ponies were poised along the edge. The room had a small closet, on the door it held a small calendar that had the date of Smolder's Coronation circled several times. There was a small desk, with a wooden chair, that had all of Tea's schoolwork scattered about and held the lantern. It was still burning. Tea closed the door to her room behind her. Turning back, Tea noticed Sapphire poking her figurines; her face full of curiosity.

"That's… uh… Tracer." Tea mentioned aloud.

"Who?" Sapphire asked curiously.

"She's from a game made by Blizzard." Tea explained, walking over to her.

"A blizzard made her?" Sapphire asked in astonishment.

"What? No… she is part of a game that… let's just skip that for now." Tea said quickly, motioning for Sapphire to sit in her wooden chair.

Sapphire obliged, sitting down in the wooden chair. Tea opened her closer door, rummaging around for a few moments before dragging out a bean bag chair from within. Dragging it out onto the middle of her floor, Tea plopped her down in it as they three ponies sat watching her.

"So what happened to Smolder?" Tea asked.

* * *

"Ow!"

I woke with a start. A stinging pain lingering upon the side of my face while Mira massaged her hand looking annoyed with me. It didn't take me long to put two and two together; Mira had slapped me awake.

"You sleep too much." Mira stated floating away from me.

"I thought you _told_ me to sleep more?" I asked sounding rather grouchy from being woken up so rudely.

"Five days is plenty." Mira remarked hovering near an assortment of stone jars.

"Five days?" I asked in disbelief looking over myself.

With a turn of my neck I could feel my bones cracking, the sensations was shocking yet so very satisfying as it led me to stretch even more. My muscles no longer ached, my mind numbing headache was gone, and I was starting to feel pretty normal again. Taking another look at myself, I noticed the thin scar lines webbing up my legs; every breath I took made them softly glow from my internal fire.

"There is nothing we can do about that. You'll just have to live with it." Mira remarked, having noticed concern over it.

"It's not going to get… worse, is it?" I asked sounding mildly concerned.

"Just don't absorb anymore dragon fire and you'll be fine." Mira replied, pouring some liquid from the stone jars into a bowl.

I lifted my forearms to my face, looking at the scars a bit closer. It reminded me of my father. How his body had been burned away by the amount fire he possessed, the amount her generated from within; how it changed him. Mine were nothing as severe as his, but it was going to be a reminder that I came close to being like him.

"So what's the plan?" I asked heaving a sigh.

"Plan?" Mira asked in surprise, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, how are we going to save the Void Walkers from the storm?" I asked curiously.

"Ha! Yeah right!" Mira barked a laugh.

"What?" I asked looking confused. "I thought this is why I was here? I promised to help."

Mira picked up the bowl. Gliding over to me she placed it down in front of me as I looked into what appeared to be a green liquid that had fur on it. I made a face of disgust at it and felt Mira's small hand slap me across the face once more.

"Drink it!" Mira demanded pointing at the bowl.

"What is it?" I asked rubbing my cheek, watching the fur in the bowl suddenly move.

I felt Mira's other hand slap my other cheek. My mane flared as I glared at her, but she floated firmly in place pointing down at the bowl; waiting for me to drink it.

Begrudgingly, I scooped up the bowl in my hooves, bringing it closer to my face. The smell was somehow more foul then the look of the drink. Doing my best not to breathe it in, I tipped the bowl into my mouth feeling the liquid slowly and thickly roll down my throat. My first instinct was to gag, choking on the liquid, doing my best not to throw it back up as my face made it very clear how much I disliked the drink.

"Stupid Flame Pony." Mira mumbled, taking the bowl away from me.

I didn't put up any sort of struggle to hang onto the bowl. I beat my chest with my hoof, trying to force the liquid all the way down my throat. To my surprise, I watched Mira drink the same liquid with ease, finishing the thing in just a few gulps without so much as a dry heave.

"What was that?" I asked, licking my tongue against my hoof; trying to get the foul taste from my mouth.

"More like who was that." Mira mumbled to herself.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." Mira said quickly, floating back to her stone jars.

"Are you going to tell me anything?" I asked, starting to get annoyed.

"Yes, you're not allowed to leave this cave." Mira replied, glancing over her shoulder.

"Why?" I asked.

"You are so irritating with all your questions!" Mira groaned, dragging her hands down her face.

"Hey!" I shouted, stepping towards her.

Mira raised her arm. I felt the ground beneath me grab onto my legs. I looked down to see shadow like arms reaching up and taking hold me. I couldn't budge an inch as Mira floated back over to me. She slapped me across the face once more. I glared at her while she smiled to herself.

"You have two options, Flame Pony, leave this cave and are taken by the Void." Mira stated pointing towards the tunnel to her left.

I looked towards the tunnel. As much as I didn't like being slapped around by Mira, I knew that I didn't stand a chance at my own and had to go with the second option.

"What's option two?" I asked.

Mira tapped my forehead with her finger. I felt a sudden swell of magic come surging to my head. A feeling I had experienced whenever my dormant magic tried to assert itself. With a sudden pulse from my hooves I shattered the shadow arms gripping me, levitating the stone jars across the room, and lifting the loose rocks around me. With flash everything dropped. I could feel the magic draining from my forehead. I felt Mira's hand lift my chin up to her face.

"I will teach you how to use your magic." Mira said with a grin. "So you can kill Null."

"Who's Null?" I asked curiously.

Mira slapped me once more.


	6. Chapter 6: Arriving and Deriving

The Kingdom of the Frozen North glittered like the Crystal Empire. Its castle stood strong yet elegant like that of Canterlot. It held all the hallmarks of a thriving Kingdom, but was vacant of any warmth that the Kingdom of Flame Ponies had offered. The Kingdom was bitterly cold. Blankets of white frost and snow layered the ground as far as the eye could see. Having just crossed into the territory of Ice Ponies, Twilight and her friends had already began putting on their gifted winter coats to prepare for the sub-zero temperatures that were sure to follow. Fortunately for them, the recently retired General Hearth offered much in terms of a furnace for every pony to warm themselves next to.

"Aren't you the least bit cold, General?" Rainbow Dash asked through shattering teeth.

"Nope." Hearth replied shaking his head side to side.

"Thank you for letting us warm ourselves with your flames." Fluttershy said appreciatively.

General Hearth had positioned himself in the center of the carriage, allowing the six of them to sit around him; much like a campfire. With every passing minute the carriages were growing closer to the Kingdom of Ice Ponies, while the temperature continued to drop at an even faster rate. Spike was lucky enough to sit underneath Hearth's chest, clutching his fiery hooves for extra warmth.

"Don't mention it." Hearth replied; feeling sorry for how cold every pony looked.

"Good afternoon, this is one of your… eh… pilots speaking."

From within the carriage, a pony's voice could be heard. From the top corners of the carriage, every pony spied a sort of speaker. It seemed to be a simple designed way for the pegasi ponies pulling the chariot to speak to the passengers within.

"We've just passed Yakyakistan… eh… temperature currently below freezing… eh… hope you've enjoyed the ride thus far." The Pegasi Pony's voice filled the carriage.

"How about some blankets or hot cocoa?" Rainbow Dash asked, speaking directly into the speaker.

"Eh… we really don't have anything like that on board… eh… cocoa tends to spill on take offs… eh… we'll be arriving at the Ice Kingdom shortly… so eh… sit back, relax, and enjoy the music." The Pegasi Pony's voice rang out in the carriage.

"Music?" Spike asked in surprise.

The carriage was quietly filled with muffled humming coming from over the speaker. It would seem that the Pegasi Pony speaking before had started to simply hum to them all; which didn't seem to impress any pony.

"We'll settle with awkward silence over the humming pal." Rainbow Dash said into the microphone.

"Every pony is a critic." The Pegasi Pony mumbled over the speaker.

After about a half hour of flying, the carriages began to descend to lower altitudes. The temperature became so cold that frost began to develop upon the metal workings within the carriage.

"We're approaching our landing sight… eh… please gather all your belongings… eh… wait until the carriage comes to a complete stop… eh… and enjoy your stay at the Ice Kingdom." The Pegasi Pony's voice filled the carriage once more.

"I-I-I-I think I preferred the f-f-f-fire over the sn-sn-sn-snow." Applejack said through her shivers.

The carriages lurched forward coming to a complete stop. Snow pelted the side of the carriage, giving no pony reason to hurry to open it. Instead, every pony seemed to huddle closer to General Hearth for warmth.

"M-M-M-Maybe we can just wait until the snowing stops." Rarity offered, shivering at the cold.

Lord Tundra and Lady Frost stepped out of their carriage to the awaiting entourage of Noble Ice Ponies eagerly waiting to welcome them back home. First was Commander Sleet, an Ice Pony with a highly decorated career with family nobility dating back to the first generation of Ice Ponies. His bright blue hide was matched with his thick snowy mane that billowed to the point of it being near slush. His cutie mark bore the image of an icy shield. For all his pedigree, Commander Sleet was known to have a warm personality, but embodied the idea of revenge being served cold.

"Lord Tundra. Lady Frost. Welcome back." Commander Sleet said cheerfully.

"Commander Sleet, thank you for holding the fort down in our absence." Lady Frost said appreciatively.

"It's not like anything or any pony would brave the snow to start trouble with us." Commander Sleet remarked with a chuckle.

"Where is Princess Sapphire?" asked the Chancellor.

Chancellor Stone was a cerulean blue Ice Pony with ghastly white smoke for his mane and tail. His cutie mark depicted a shelf of ice that had a crevasse running through. His status amongst the Ice Ponies was comparable to Wingston's in the Ashen Fields. His role was to advise the King and Queen, while handling much of the governing of Ice Ponies through a committee of elected peers, and brought new laws and sanctions to the King and Queen for final confirmation. Chancellor Stone was elected into his position by the Ice Ponies, to bridge the gap between common Ice Ponies and the Noble ones.

"Sapphire has set about a task to assist the King of Flame Ponies." Lord Tundra stated. "At her request, we are hosting some of her friends for an unknown duration of time. They are to be treated like honored guests."

"Of course, My Lord." Chancellor Stone said bowing his head.

"Where exactly are our guests?" Lady Frost asked curiously, looking about.

Every Ice Pony turned to look at the carriage that had yet to be opened. The snow storm raging outside had started layer the carriage, Lord Tundra and Lady Frost watched as the Pegasi Ice Ponies attempted to coax out Twilight and her friends with the promise of more warmth inside the castle; they didn't seem to be making any progress.

"Honey, why don't you get rid of the snow storm to make it easier on our guests." Lady Frost suggested.

"What? Like… make it stop snowing?" Lord Tundra asked sounding surprised.

"Of course! What do you think I meant?" Lady Frost snapped at him.

"Listen to what you're saying! Stop it snowing at the Kingdom of Ice! Do we even have a spell for that?" Lord Tundra asked in disbelief.

"One moment, my Lord." Another pony remarked.

Court Wizard Floe, nearing the age of twelve, Floe was an Ice Pony savant when it comes to magic. Having been recognized by those three times his elder in his abilities, Floe was made Court Wizard by the aged of eleven and has had made great strides in Ice Pony wizardry. Although his age does tend for him to throw fits and act like a little filly, every Ice Pony had adopted the saying 'go with the Floe' when it came to matters of magic. With his azure blue hide and eggshell white mane, not to mention his oversized wizard's hat, Floe's cutie mark bore an open book with mystical symbol scrawled across the pages.

"Here it is, sire." Floe said, holding up a book nearly twice his size to Lord Tundra.

"Now let's see here… head back… shoulders in… knees apart… knees apart?" Lord Tundra asked looking puzzled.

"It's for stability, my Lord." Floe stated.

"Right then." Lord Tundra said confidently.

Taking the appropriate stance, Lord Tundra's horn started to shine brilliantly; focusing his magic. With an explosion of white light, Lord Tundra's horn shot a beam of magical energy towards the sky above, disappearing within the clouds. Several seconds had passed before the snow stopped falling, the snow clouds in the sky started to thin as the storm vanished completely.

"Not bad for an old colt, huh?" Lord Tundra asked, looking for approval from Lady Frost.

"You mean a dumb colt." Lady Frost corrected him.

"Dumb!" Lord Tundra snapped, sounding offended.

Lady Frost did not entertain him with further words as she moved towards the carriage to formally welcome their guests to the Kingdom. Carefully opening the carriage door just a bit, Lady Frost could feel a noticeable degree of warmth inside; no doubt General Hearth's fire keeping the inside relatively warm.

"The storm is gone every pony, it is… less cold out here now." Lady Frost said, sounding apologetic.

The carriage door opened all the way as Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Spike and General Hearth stepped out into the icy road. As expected, there were shivers that overtook the ponies. It was obvious to every Ice Pony that formal introductions and tours should be held off until they were inside the castle.

"This way every pony." Lady Frost said quickly, ushering them towards the large Ice Sculpted doors.

No pony wasted any time in following Lady Frost into the Castle, although General Hearth stayed behind. His reason for being here was elsewhere in the Frozen North, to reconnect with his family that had ventured north to escape the Mad King's rage.

"We weren't expecting any Flame Ponies." Commander Sleet stated approaching him.

"I've come for a visit." Hearth replied simply.

"Commander Sleet, I would like to introduce you to the Ashen Fields own Commander, General Hearth." Lord Tundra announced strolling up to the two of them.

"Retired." Hearth added.

"Hearth? Warrick Hearth?" Commander Sleet asked, looking quite flabbergasted.

"The very same." Hearth replied.

"I don't believe it! This is extraordinary!" Commander Sleet exclaimed taking Hearth's hoof and shaking it.

"What is?" Hearth asked curiously.

"Coal believed you dead! This is unbelievable! He'll absolutely flip when he sees you!" Commander Sleet exclaimed.

"Coal? So my brother is still alive?" Hearth asked surprised himself that one of his brothers was still bucking.

"All of them are! The Hearth family and mine have had many wondrous years together!" Commander Sleet stated in excitement.

"I-I-I don't follow." Hearth stated, still overwhelmed at the news.

"Where do I begin? There is so much to talk about!" Commander Sleet stated, also at loss for words over this.

"When the Hearth family arrived in the Frozen North, they were taken in by the Sleet family to help them adjust to life here. Over the years the Hearth family has regained Nobility amongst our Ice Ponies and has invested back into our community with their insight and knowledge. The Hearth and Sleet families have been good friends ever since." Lord Tundra explained.

"It about to become a single family, for your nephew is marrying my daughter next week!" Commander Sleet exclaimed joyfully.

Hearth had no words. Everything being said seemed so foreign to him. The family he had once known was just a memory now, their lives had continued while his had been static for so long. It was clear to both Commander Sleet and Lord Tundra that Hearth would need time to process this, but more importantly reconnect with his family.

"Lord Tundra, with your permission, I would like to be General Hearth's personal escort." Commander Sleet requested.

"I think that would be a fine idea." Lord Tundra said nodding his head.

"You will come to my home, where you will be welcomed by my family as well as your own. We shall have a feast tonight in your honor and celebrate the return of a forgotten hero." Commander Sleet said.

"Hero?" Hearth asked in disbelief.

"Everything will be made clear, but first, let me take you home." Commander Sleet said, ushering Hearth towards the ramp leading down from the castle.

Inside the castle every pony began to notice that the temperature was a bit warmer. Staunches of fire were set up, several fire pits had been set up to provide them with warmth, but to an extreme that nearly every room in the Kingdom seemed to have heat. The Main Hall itself had no less than twenty different pyres of fire that warmed the room, which made the frost melt from the walls and the ceiling.

"Isn't… isn't the castle going to melt?" Spike asked curiously.

"Sweet Celestia, no, little dragon. The castle is made from marble and stone, the ice is merely a layer." Lady Frost said with almost a laugh.

"I hope you didn't go through all this trouble just for us." Rarity said, sounding apologetic.

"No trouble it all, we entertain other nobility from foreign lands from time to time and provide them with the same level of comfort. It is merely a matter of preparation." Lady Frost explained.

"So you don't mind that everything is melting?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, watching water drip from the ceiling.

"Believe it or not, we tend to have an excess of ice build-up within the castle and need to remove it before it becomes a problem. Doing this will only be beneficial to us in the long run." Lady Frost replied.

"My Lady, the King's sculptures are melting at an alarming rate." A Royal Ice Pony guard reported, hurrying towards her.

"Let them melt." Lady Frost said coldly.

"But… My Lady…" The Royal Guard said slowly.

"I want to see puddles." Lady Frost said with an icy voice.

The Royal Guard nodded in his understanding before rushing off. Lady Frost had a smile on her face, as if winning some sort of long standing battle. The large ice doors to the Main Hall shut closed following Lord Tundra's entry. Strolling past the ponies to Lady Frost he looked about at all the melted ice in the room.

"Are the Guards taking care of my sculptures?" Lord Tundra asked, sounding concerned.

"Of course dear, you have nothing to worry about." Lady Frost said cheerfully.

* * *

The Kingdom of Naught was deathly quiet in its stillness. Unseen wind blew the fields of dust like waves in water. Fractured light in the far off distance gleamed, offering a sense of space in the blackness. A muffled thump echoed throughout the Void, shaking the ground, and unsettling some of the creatures that rested within the shadows.

Within Mira's cave nearly every stone jar had been knocked from the shelves. Bits of rock sheered from the cave walls. The ground had shattered leaving several places of uneven dirt. I stood within the epicenter of the explosion. My wings had shielded me from the blast. Cautiously peering out to see what sort of damage I had caused.

"I told you to focus!" Mira's voice snapped at me.

A black orb of magic hovered before me. It began to dissipate revealing Mira within; her markings shining in response to the use of her shadow magic.

"I was." I insisted.

I felt Mira's small hand strike me across the face. Normally, I would protest this sort of treatment, but seeing as I was responsible for nearly destroying her home I felt I had that one coming.

"Try again." Mira instructed.

Letting out a loud sigh, I complied. Keeping my hooves apart, knees slightly bent, I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Mira had begun teaching me Black Magic, it was the only magic she knew, and I was failing to grasp what she called the simplest of spells. I was to merely construct a magical orb from shadows, but every attempt I made ended with an explosion.

I'm not sure how long we had been training. There was no semblance of time here. Whenever we got tired, we would rest. Whenever we got hungry, we ate; reluctantly. I had lost track of the days but it didn't seem to matter. What did matter was my inability to perform a single spell competently, but with all of my failings, Mira continued to push me to do even the slightest bit better. Needless to say, slightest wasn't even close to how little I improved.

There was a force that surged through my body. Energy that swirled through my mind, but it had no means of escape. My forehead began to throb again, my magic attempting to reach out through my nonexistent horn.

There came a sudden flash of light, erupting from my forehead, blowing me off my hooves and sending me slamming back against the wall. I was slow to get to my hooves. My head was thriving with pain. I could hear Mira sighing, sounding very annoyed with me.

"Are you even trying?" Mira asked.

"Of course I'm trying!" I snapped, surprised at the notion I was merely half flanking it.

"It's a simple spell! Orb! Shadow!" Mira shouted back.

I watched Mira hold up her hands, the markings on her arms began to glow as two shadow orbs within her palms immediately sprang up. I knew that complaining would only end in another fight, but the truth of it was that Mira had a lot more practice with it then I did.

"Can't you just teach me something other than Black Magic?" I asked hopefully.

"Shadow Magic, or Black Magic as you ponies call it, is the opposite of Light Magic; the magic you ponies use in abundance. So no, I can't teach you how to use it." Mira began to explain, the shadow orbs popping like bubbles in her hands.

My head was still pounding. I swayed on the spot, supporting my head, grinding my teeth at the pain my head was feeling. I listened to what Mira had to say carefully, knowing that I would be asked to try again very soon.

"Light Magic will feed off of love and joy; it is what makes ponies so powerful. Shadow Magic feeds off of hate and anger, something that ponies tend to avoid." Mira continued.

"Anger and hate can corrupt you." I said, sounding annoyed.

Mira floated towards me. Pointing her finger right in my face, her eyes in straight stare; as if she was looking right through me.

"There's bad in you, it's in your blood; son of the Mad King." Mira stated. "Now you can deny it, and you can run from it all you want, but that bad will always be there."

"I'm nothing like him!" I shouted in protest.

The flames of my mane flared. A force of magic emanated from my hooves, like a ripple, slamming all the loose dirt and debris up against the caves walls. For all my bolstering, Mira had made her point, my anger gave me focus; my magic responded to it.

"Remember what you're feeling right now. Put it inside you so you can learn to control it and live by it." Mira instructed me.

I watched Mira raise her hands to me once more, palms up. I could see black flames starting to form within her hands. The flames started to grow in size; the fire flaring wildly. I stepped away from it. The fire flaring aggressively, its power growing just as much as its size, and yet she seemed to have complete control over it. Mira closed her hands into fists extinguishing the flames. I noticed that Mira's face had remained unchanged.

"You don't need to express anger or hatred, you just need to feel the rage and channel it." Mira stated.

There was a part of me that knew this to be true. With my battle with the Orc I had felt myself give into that anger, that hatred that I had tried to suppress. I felt powerful; unstoppable. Even so, without Mira's intervention I would have surely been consumed by it. My flames started to diminish. I calmed myself, knowing that Mira had made her point.

"So... you can't teach me any Light Magic?" I asked, hoping for something a little less strenuous.

I heard Mira hiss at me. Her hands trying to slap my face as I raised my hooves to defend myself from her onslaught.

"Even if I could, the Void devours anything with light!" Mira snapped at me.

"Well this isn't working!" I stated.

"It's because of your stupid horn!" Mira shouted poking me hard on the forehead.

"It's not my fault!" I shouted back.

"It's entirely your fault! It's your stupid horn!" Mira yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

"I can't just make it grow!" I shouted, feeling my flames plume with anger.

"Of course you can!" Mira shouted, reaching out her hands as if to strangle me.

I did not respond right away. It came as a surprise to me that Mira really believed that I could just grow my horn.

"H-H-How?" I asked.

Mira face palmed herself. She muttered words in a language I had never heard before, and I was sure none of them were good but were all about me. She hovered around in small circles for a bit, I decided to wait patiently for her to speak.

"Were you born with those wings?" Mira asked after a while, pointing to my back.

"No, they came in later." I replied, looking over my shoulder at them.

"How?" Mira asked, crossing her arms.

"Uh…" I mumbled, thinking back on it.

My thoughts brought me back to my fight with my father. Being incased in stone was a bit hazy for me, but the image of my mother had stuck with me. I had told Wingston of my experience and dismissed my ideas of it being my actual mother trying to reach out to me. Rather, it was merely my mind projecting my heart's desire to see her in my last moments.

"I… was… uh… statue." I muttered, unsure of how to explain it.

"A what?" Mira asked having a look of confusion.

"I was trapped, cemented in rock." I explained. "I had this… this… vision of my mother."

Mira didn't interrupt me, which mean that I could continue with my explanation.

"She spoke to me… I think. I felt my fire grow and when I escaped my tomb I… I had wings." I said, unsure of it myself.

"What did she say?" Mira asked.

"Um…" I began, trying to think back on it. "I… I love you."

I felt myself shift uneasily at Mira's look of disgust at my words. It was true that it felt sappy, but it what I heard; or at least wanted to hear.

"That's it?" Mira asked.

"Yeah, then I broke free and I had wings." I said.

"You just had wings?" Mira poised my statement as a question to me.

"What else do you want?" I asked feeling like this wasn't going anywhere.

"What were you feeling?" Mira asked, ignoring my question.

"I-I-I don't know… pain? Anger? Loss or something?" I asked, unsure of my own answer.

"I would bet that you've felt all of these feeling before when you didn't have wings?" Mira asked, sounding interested.

"Yeah, I would say so." I agreed with her.

"Did you talk to her?" Mira asked curiously.

"I-I-I couldn't move. I really wanted to but…I barely got out two words… just before she disappeared." I said, thinking back on it.

"What were they?" Mira asked.

I shifted uncomfortably, knowing that my response wasn't too much better.

"Goodbye, Mom." I said with a heavy heart.

"Well that was it." Mira said in a decisive voice.

"What was it?" I asked curiously.

"The reason you got your wings." Mira replied, pointing to my wings.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding.

I watched as Mira floated down closer to me. Her finger touched my chest, right around the area where my heart would be. She tapped it a few times to signify the answer I was looking for.

"There's something inside you that's keeping you from getting your horn. You're fighting with yourself, your magic is trying to get out but you're holding back." Mira explained to me.

"But I've been trying to cast magic all day." I stated, not convinced.

"Look where that got you." Mira remarked floating away.

"I don't understand any of this." I mumbled, rubbing the sides of my head.

I felt Mira's hand strike me upside the head. I leaned away, annoyed at this, but Mira leaned in to glare at me all the same.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? You _accepted_ it." Mira stated to me.

"Accepted it?" I asked.

"That your mommy was dead, gone forever, never coming back!" Mira shouted at me.

I stared at her. At a loss for words. Mira didn't seem to have trouble finding any.

"You're wings were a result of you freeing yourself mentally, and emotionally, which triggered a physical response, your wings, and allowed you to grow as a pony in the process." Mira explained further.

I lowered my head. There was a twinge of pain in my heart over these words. It was true that I had come to peace with the notion that I wasn't going to ever see her again, but I had chosen not to use such words to describe the reason. Mira had painted the picture prettier clear which my heart could not, but it was true nonetheless.

I wasn't sure if Mira took notice of my pain, or if she even felt the slightest bit of remorse for being so blunt about my mother. Although, she did give me some space and time to think about what she had said and busied herself with fixing her stone jars. If what she said was true, and I would be hard pressed to find a better explanation for it, I needed to find out what was stopping me from growing a horn.

"What… do I need to do?" I asked slowly.

"What are you asking me for?" Mira questioned me, picking up a stone jar.

"How am I supposed to find out what's stopping me from growing a horn?" I asked again.

"Probably the same way you got your wings." Mira suggested.

"I have to be a statue again?" I asked miserably.

"No! Stupid Flame Pony!" Mira shouted in frustration.


	7. Chapter 7: Reckless Endeavors

Chamomile Tea sat within her living room reading this month's issue of Better Stables, and Gardens when the sharp ring of her timer broke the silence. Entering her kitchen, Chamomile retrieved her oven mitts, sniffing the air with joyous anticipation of the raspberry tarts she had been preparing for Tea and her friends. Opening the oven, Chamomile pulled out the tray to see her picture perfect raspberry tarts a soft golden brown. Beaming at her own craft, Chamomile slid them off the tray onto a platter before tossing the tray into the sink and sprinkling the lightest layer of powdered sugar over them. Satisfied with its presentation, Chamomile took the platter and headed towards Tea's room. Reaching the outside of her door, Chamomile gave it two swift knocks before during the knob and opening the door.

"Tea, honey, I baked some raspberry-" Chamomile began stepping into the room.

"For the Great Dragon Char had toppled the summits of the Western Mountains! Cleaving its claws through the very heart of the Ashen Fields and subjecting the land to its earth shattering roar!" Princess Sapphire bellowed.

Tea's entire room had become a winter wonderland. Frost had caked much the room, all except for Tea's lantern that sat upon the table, free of ice, and still burning. A small ice sculpture of Castle Char sat near the door with hundreds of tinier ice figurines depicting ponies and spiders. Florence Gale and Christie Chapel were standing upon the bed, holding small ice figurines depicting Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, and Lord Tundra as they seemed to marionette their movements to the story. Tea was holding onto a pony sized, ice sculpted, dragon that seemed to have a great amount of detail carved into it. Princess Sapphire herself stood upon the chair, her horn brimming with magic as the figurines moved about the floor to coincide with her words. Chamomile stood wide eyed as the four mares took notice of her presence.

"Oh, hey Mom." Tea said, nonchalantly.

"Hi… honey…" Chamomile replied; her eyes still scanning the room.

"Hi Mrs. Tea." Florence and Chapel said together.

"What are… you girls… doing?" Chamomile asked slowly.

"Princess Sapphire is telling the story of the battle that took place in the Ashen Fields last week." Tea explained to her.

"O… kay." Chamomile said, scooping up a hoof full of snow off the carpet.

"You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Tea, my magic will have the room back to its original state with no trace of property damage." Princess Sapphire remarked.

"As long as you girls are having… fun." Chamomile said stepping into the room. "I baked you some raspberry tarts."

"Thanks Mom." Tea said taking the platter.

"Thanks Mrs. Tea." Chapel and Florence said together.

Chamomile was careful not to step on any of the smaller ice sculptors surrounding the castle as she headed back towards the door. All four mares seemed to be having a good time, which made Chamomile feel good, but still a bit uneasy at the amount of snow in the room; what would the down stairs neighbors be thinking she wondered. With a smile, Chamomile closed the door, hearing Princess Sapphire start up once more with her epic story.

"With its mighty roar, every pony and spider scattered from the fields! Its primal urges boiling over, its greed brimming at its eyes, the Great Dragon Char leaped onto the Ashen Fields!" Princess Sapphire shouted dramatically raising her arms into the air.

There was a pause that followed. Florence, Chapel, and Tea were very riveted by the story and the way Sapphire told it; nibbling on the raspberry tarts all the while. Princess Sapphire looked at the three of them expectantly, before realizing that none were catching her drift.

"Tea… you're supposed to move the dragon." Princess Sapphire whispered to her.

"Oh! Right!" Tea said quickly, realizing her part.

Tea picked up the dragon, with some degree of difficulty, before dropping closer to the ice sculpture of Castle Char. The loud thump that followed shook the room, if not the whole apartment.

"Tea?" Chamomile's voice drifted from down the hall.

"It's nothing Mom!" Tea shouted back quickly.

"Thus! The Great Dragon Char had turned the ground asunder! The explosive force of its landing through pony and spider alike through the air! I, myself, was thrown off my hooves during my battle with the Orc and slammed against the back wall of Castle Char." Princess Sapphire exclaimed.

The magic from her horn had scattered the ice figurines of ponies and spiders all about the room. Taking special care to move her own depicted figurine to the wall where she covered it with bits of snow to create the illusion of debris. Florence and Chapel had gotten off the bed to get closer to the castle, the small ice figurines still in their hooves as they waited anxiously for what was to come next.

"Could I have a tart?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously, noticing the platter.

"Sure." Tea said passing her the platter.

"We'll be having a short intermission." Princess Sapphire announced, taking a tart and quickly beginning to feast upon it.

"No! We have to know what happens next!" Chapel shouted in protest.

"I saw your little ice sculpture get moved over here! You're right in front of that dragon!" Florence pointed out, anxious to hear more.

"I… told you… it's an… intermission." Princess Sapphire said through bits of chewing.

"This is where Smolder does something stupid, isn't it?" Tea asked, having noticed the small Smolder sculpture peeking out from the back door of the castle.

"Tea! Don't spoil it!" Chapel hissed at her.

"Yeah! Let Sapphire tell the story!" Florence insisted.

"Has Smolder done reckless things in the past?" Sapphire asked curiously.

"I've lost count of how many times he's down something stupid." Tea replied, sounding annoyed.

* * *

Mira led me further into the cave she called her home. Each step took us deeper underground, twisting and winding its way into the darkness. Mira's blue stardust like hair, her markings, and my flames was all the light we had to go by. Having promised to teach me how to use my magic, for the purposes of destroying the one called Null, Mira got tired of trying to slap my horn out of my head and decided to on the next best thing.

"Where are we going?" I asked, hearing my own voice echo in the darkness.

"To a place where I think we can get your horn to come out." Mira replied, looking over her shoulder.

Mira had elected not to go into detail about the being called Null, other than that I was brought here to destroy it and the Storm; which we ponies had named the Void. To do so, I needed to become stronger, which meant controlling my magic, and that meant getting my horn.

"Which is?" I asked, hoping for more details.

"The final resting place of my Eternal Master." Mira stated calmly.

"Say what?" I asked, sounding more confused than surprised.

"She gave me life. She gave all of us in the Kingdom of Naught life. She was my creator." Mira stated, in a matter of fact tone.

"Your creator?" I asked. "Like a mother?"

"You can call it that if it's easier for you, she never played favorites." Mira explained. "In fact, she never spent time with any of us."

"There are more of you? I mean... others that look like you?" I asked, trying not to sound offensive.

"There were… not anymore." Mira said bitterly.

I could tell that I had brought up something quite painful to her. My curiosity wanted me to find out more, but I knew that losing someone close to was not a subject to dig into when the individual buried it deep down in their heart. I walked in silence. Mira glanced over her shoulder after a while to look at me.

"We're almost there." Mira said.

My flames illuminated a narrow path the led out into an expanse that was devoid of anything but darkness. Mira continued to float on, I followed her into the black abyss, not so much worried of falling, due to my wings, but losing sight of the path and being lost in this darkness. Eventually the path was cut short, dropping off into the abyss.

"This is it." Mira remarked, turning to me.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

I approached the edge of the path, taking a look over the edge and saw nothing but more darkness. Even with my flames the darkness seemed overpowering, it almost made me uncomfortable not being able to see anything in the blackness. My anxiety quickly disappeared when I felt Mira drop on my back, her heels kicking into my sides. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Mira smiling back at me, pointing down into the abyss.

"Mush!" Mira exclaimed, almost too pleased with herself.

"Mush?" I asked in disbelief.

"Jump or whatever! Get us down there." Mira stated, kicking her heels into my side a few times trying to get me to move.

"Seriously? Are you being serious right now?" I asked.

"You're not afraid of the dark are you?" Mira asked, sounding annoyed.

"I meant with you kicking me." I stated.

"I can slap you instead." Mira offered.

"Point taken." I said with a sigh.

Flaring out my wings, I gave them a few flaps to stretch them out before taking a deep breath. Leaning forward I dropped off the ledge; the passing wind caught my wings and started to glide me down into the darkness. After a few moments, I started to wonder just how deep the abyss really was. Soon it was merely a black back drop of Mira and myself falling endlessly.

"How are we going to get back?" I asked after a while.

"You've got wings, don't you?" Mira asked sarcastically.

I frowned at her sarcasm. We slowly drifted further down into the blackness. I just told myself that Mira wouldn't go through the trouble of bringing me here if she didn't have a plan to get us out.

"What happened to the Orc?" Mira asked all of a sudden.

"The Orc?" I asked, surprised by her question.

"Did you kill it?" Mira asked curiously.

"No, I didn't." I replied.

"You let it go?" Mira asked in surprise.

"Well, no, the Great Dragon Char took care of it." I mentioned thinking back on it.

"It ate him?" Mira asked in some weird delight at the idea.

"No, no, it just torched him with its fire. The Orc must have passed almost instantly." I explained to her.

"So you couldn't go through with it after all?" Mira asked.

"The Orc was no longer a threat. I didn't need to take it any further than that." I said.

"But you wanted to, didn't you?" Mira whispered in my ear.

I didn't reply to Mira. The Orc ultimately met his end, just not at my hooves, and that should have been enough for me. Thinking back on it, I kept wondering why I didn't just finish, why I hesitated, and I always had the same answer to these questions. I didn't want to be my father.

"We're here." Mira said aloud, kicking her heels into my sides to gain my attention.

I looked down to see that Mira was pointing to a small patch of black sand that was just barely illuminated by my flames several feet below us. We drifted to the ground; nothing else became illuminated by my flames, just this sea of black sand that waited beneath us. Touching down, I felt the sand give beneath my hooves, my flames crackling underhoof, while Mira slid off my back and floated in front of me staring off into the blackness.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"This is Azimuth's Tomb." Mira said quietly.

"Tomb?" I asked in surprise.

I felt Mira slap me across the face. She pressed a finger to her lips to shush me. I watched as she bowed her head to the darkness, obviously honoring whomever was buried within this tomb. Feeling the need to follow suit, I lowered my head to pay my respects along with Mira to the silence and the darkness.

"Azimuth will help you discover your power." Mira said, breaking the silence.

"I thought you said this was a tomb?" I asked in confusion.

"It is, Azimuth may be dead, but she can still help you." Mira explained.

Mira pressed her palms together. Slowly separating them, she formed a small orb of blue light that she pushed up into the air. The orb of light floated up and away from us, its soft glow bathing us in a dull hue. What it illuminated next had me staggering back in disbelief.

A humanoid creature, nearly twice the size of the Great Dragon Char was slumped against the cavern's wall. One of its legs was bent inward, while the other stretched out. Arms rested lifelessly at its sides; similar markings matched the ones on Mira's. Its head tilted onto its shoulder. At first I thought it was merely asleep, it looked very much alive for its skin was still taut and smooth. Its frozen expression seemed to smile softly, eyes closed, its body draped in cloak that gleamed like silver water.

"This was Azimuth. My creator. She was one of three Eternal Masters that had ruled over the Kingdom of Naught." Mira explained, noticing my surprise.

I was at a loss for words. The blue orb of light fizzled out, draping the massive giant in darkness once more. I drew my eyes from the darkness to Mira. I could see similarities between the giant and her. They shared the same face, the same markings, but wasn't quite as tall.

"Your… creator?" I asked, trying to recompose myself.

"Azimuth was the bringer of life. She created everything within the Void with her own two hands, breathing life within us, and sharing her light with us." Mira elaborated further.

"So, she's your Mom?" I asked.

"Mothers love their children." Mira stated coldly. "Creators use them."

I stared at her, seeing some of that hatred she had under control come seeping out through the look in her eyes. It was obvious to me that Mira was very much alone in this place now. She was the last of her kind, a creator that never showed her any sort of love, and a tyrant that she feared more than anything. Before I knew it, I began to pity her, once more projecting my own life on to hers. A mother who never was, a tyrant that harmed your friends, she is all alone, just like I was, and it was clear that she still this way; even though I was here.

"I… know the feeling." I mumbled.

"Your mother loved you." Mira spat at me.

"My father didn't." I replied quietly. "But it is nice to know my mother loved me, even if I never met her."

"We're not here to talk. We're here to get that horn to come out." Mira hissed bitterly, dropping the conversation then and there.

I watched Mira float towards the remains of the eternal master known as Azimuth. Mira was right; our purpose for being here wasn't to chat, but to get to work. Although, I would have time to talk after my horn came about and the real training began.

"You're going to need to stand right here and try not to move." Mira instructed me, pointing to the ground she hovered over.

"Alright." I replied, strolling over to the spot.

"Now…" Mira said floating away from me.

Floating several yards away, Mira's blue starlight hair began to illuminate the expansive silver cloak that draped the fallen eternal master. Mira began to ascend higher and higher into the air, slowly approaching what would be the chest of Azimuth. I watched curiously, unsure of what Mira intended to do, but figured that there was some sort of material or ingredient she needed to obtain from it.

"Try not to freak out!" Mira shouted down to me; her voice echoing through the darkness.

"Freak out?" I asked, not liking the sound of it.

The giant itself was unnerving to say the least, but I couldn't imagine what could be freakier then visiting a tomb with the deceased on display. Mira placed her hand against the veil of the silver cloak, her hand passing through it as she passed through it, disappearing from my sight. With her light gone, I squinted in the darkness trying to see any trace of blue light to where she might have gone.

"Mira?" I called out into the darkness.

To my horror, the eyes of Azimuth shot opened. Her eyes a piercing yellow, the black sand beneath me began to stir as the dead giant began to move. I stood frozen in fear watching Azimuth roll her head towards me, her bent knee stretching out and her leg impacting the ground with such force it nearly blew me over. Raising my hoof to block the sandstorm that followed, I squinted through the raging wind to see Azimuth's arms beginning to rise up. Azimuth's fingers cracked loudly, her hands opening wide, and before I knew it, her hands came clapping down at me; like a small fly being smashed.

My eyes were shut tight, believing that I would be crushed and I would feeling death's sweet embrace at any moment. After a few moments I slowly realized that I wasn't about to become a Flame Pony pancake. Peeking with one eye, I chanced a glance to see what had happened. With my flames, I could see that I was still standing on a mound of black sand but was now cupped between Azimuth's hands. Looking around, there was no means of escape; I was trapped within this small pocket.

" _Within the hands of Azimuth, you will unlock your dormant magic, thus producing your horn._ " Mira's voice echoed within my head.

"We're back to this again, huh?" I asked, thinking back on how we used to speak.

" _Succeed in unlocking your power or you will die trying._ " Mira's voice warned me.

"A little extreme, but I'm on board for this all or nothing attitude." I replied, stretching a bit.

" _Stupid Flame Pony."_ Mira's voice muttered.

"What?" I asked feeling confused.

" _Azimuth's body will absorb your light, your flames, until there is nothing left. You will die in here if you cannot magically free yourself from her grasp._ " Mira's voice explained.

"That seems like something that you could have mentioned on the way over here!" I shouted in a mix of surprise and horror.

" _You wouldn't have gone through with it if I had told you._ " Mira's voice echoed. " _We don't have time to waste on you and this horn, if you fail, then it was all for not._ "

"Mira!" I shouted in disbelief at this all or nothing plan.

There was no response from her this time. There was no sound at all. It was as if I had become deaf to everything. There was no smells, no sounds, nothing to see, the air was thin, and I could feel my heart start to race. It wasn't much of a feeling at first, just an uncomfortableness that I couldn't shake; I soon realized it was my fire slowly being pulled from me.

"Okay… okay… okay…" I whispered to myself, trying to remain calm. "Don't panic… don't panic…"

Any sort of energy I wasted trying to blast my way out would be wasted. I had to believe that Mira's threat of death was legitimate, and that gaining my horn was my only means of escape. I would need to conserve whatever energy I had and focus it into solving this problem of mine. Closing my eyes I took several deep breaths, trying my best to collect my thoughts.

Having closed my eyes, it was as if I stepped into another world. A world bathed in blackness, but it seemed free of the restrictions within the small pocket within Azimuth's hands. My eyes shot open in surprise of this, blinking several times. Slowly closing my eyes once more, I started to recognize this blackness; I had seen it many times before.

" _Figured it out yet?_ " Mira's voice echoed from behind me.

My eyes shot open. I turned around to see nothing, just the immense fingers of Azimuth clasped tightly around me. I closed my eyes quickly. With my eyes shut I saw Mira floating a few feet away, her arms followed with a brow raised at me.

"I'm… I'm inside my own… head?" I asked curiously.

" _Are you asking me or telling me_?" Mira posed.

"Telling you." I said more confidently.

" _You said that you were a statue, and when you came out you had wings_." Mira stated floating towards me. " _You were deprived of your senses for a while, which caused you to focus solely on the only you could… your thoughts._ "

I could feel her finger press against my head. A small ring of light rippled out from beneath us, terraforming the darkness around us to the Ashen Fields. I looked around in amazement at this but felt Mira's swift hand smack me across the face; it felt very real.

" _You must look deep inside you and find what is holding you back._ " Mira stated earnestly. " _Before it is too late._ "

"Oh, so now you're worried about me?" I asked sarcastically.

I felt Mira hands claw at my face, hissing at me. I stepped away quickly holding up my hooves in defense.

" _Azimuth is draining my power as well!"_ Mira shouted. " _If you fail then we both die!_ "

I was dumbfounded by this.

"Why… Why would you…" I began to ask.

" _It doesn't matter why!_ " Mira shouted at me.

The Ashen Fields cracked open behind her. She seemed oblivious to this. Shadows poured out from the broken earth, a humanoid figure started to rise. I watched as the sky grew dark while Mira shook with anger.

" _I waited too long for this!"_ Mira shrieked, clenching her fists and shutting her eyes.

The Ashen Fields were blown away in an instant as the Void suddenly exploded from this humanoid figure. The wind fanning back my flames, I could feel myself being pushed back by its force. I realized that Mira's mind was linked with mine and that I was seeing what she was thinking.

" _If I can't save what is left of my home, then I don't deserve to live!_ " Mira screamed, punching herself in the head with her fists angrily.

I could hear the shrieks of countless creatures echo within the Storm. Mira's own voice echoing from a far off distance. I could hear her begging, pleading, crying over the roar of the Storm. I could feel the fear and guilt that surrounded her, a feeling I knew far too well; it made me angry. I felt my fire rage within me. My forehead swirled my power for a moment as I felt my anger rise.

"Enough!" I shouted, feeling my fire explode.

Mira's eyes snapped open from my outburst. My flames shattered Mira's train of thought, the images of the Storm and the echoes of her past dissolved in my fire. I stood burning brilliantly, a scowl on my face as Mira wavered in the spot.

"I used to think the way you do, that my life meant nothing if I couldn't save my home. Such thinking is pointless. In my quest to change my Kingdom I found friends who I've come to care for very deeply and I realized that as long as I am alive that I could protect them." I said to her.

" _All my friends are dead!_ " Mira shouted back at me.

"I'm still here." I replied.

I could see Mira's face soften. She seemed surprised by this, that I considered us friends. I lowered the intensity of my flames. We were once more back in the blackness of my mind.

"And I'm going to help you save your home and its creatures; just like I promised." I said confidently.

Mira turned away from me quickly. I could see her rubbing her eyes with her arm. I didn't know she was crying, seeing as Flame Ponies could not, but she turned back to me with a mischievous smile.

" _Stupid Flame Pony._ " Mira whispered.


	8. Chapter 8: The Best-Laid Plans

There was not a single pony within the Ashen Fields that did not have something to do. With the aftermath of the war still lingering upon the fields and their thoughts, the Flame Ponies were ready to move on and restore, yet again, a life they desired. One of peace, pride, and humility. For much like anything with the Kingdom of Flame Ponies, everything begins between a rock and a hard place. The same could be said for Winter Snow, the Ice Pony assigned to assist Ruby Simmer in the bakery.

"Hello? Excuse me!" Winter shouted to several Flame Ponies lugging heavy stones down the street.

His words were unmet as the Flame Ponies were much too busy with their own duties to stop and assist a well-dressed Ice Pony. Looking about, Winter attempted to touch base with another group of Ice Ponies clearing large chunks of debris from a collapsed stone hut.

"Can any pony lend me some assistance?" Winter asked allowed.

"What?" Francis the Flame Pony asked; his voice full of gruff.

"Ah, yes, how do you do? I'm Winter Snow Junior the Third; heir to the House of Snow, my father is Icicle Snow. Perhaps you've heard of him?" Winter introduced himself.

"I ain't never seen snow." Francis the Flame Pony remarked.

"Perhaps you've misunderstood me; my father isn't literally snow, that would just be absurd. Our family is named after snow, deriving from our long lineage of-"

"Look pal, I've got four more stores to clean up before I get a break so why don't you just run along and find some other pony to bother." Francis the Flame Pony suggested returning to his rock clearing.

"No! Forgive me! I'm just looking for some directions to where I need to be." Winter insisted in a pleading tone of voice, quickly stepping in front of Francis to stop him from leaving.

"Alright, Whitey, where you heading?" Francis the Flame Pony asked with a sigh.

"I'm looking for the bakery, I've seem to have gotten lost somewhere along the way." Winter replied, showing Francis his rock slab.

"Alright, listen up cause I'm only going to say this once." Francis the Flame Pony began.

"A-A-Alright, I'm listening." Winter stammered.

"You're going to down the street and make a left; you're going to keep coming until you see a large boulder." Francis the Flame Pony began.

"Large boulder." Winter repeated.

"Turn around when you reach the boulder." Francis the Flame Pony instructed.

"Turn around?" Winter asked in surprise.

"Next you're going to go right, squeezing between two shops. If you see the dead spider you've gone too far." Francis the Flame Pony continued.

"Where am I supposed to go before I reach the spider?" Winter asked bewildered.

"While you're in between the shops you'll find a small hole to climb into. Take the stairs inside and jump from the third story window onto the shop with the triangular roof." Francis the Flame Pony explained.

"You're kidding!" Winter exclaimed.

"From there you'll be able to smell the bakery and that's when you just follow your nose." Francis the Flame Pony said in conclusion.

"I… where… smell?" Winter mumbled, obviously lost already.

"Alright, good luck pal." Francis the Flame Pony said before getting back to work.

Winter slowly walked out of the destroyed shop, looking very confused as he headed off down street once more. Maxine, Francis's wife, came out from the back room only to catch a glimpse at the Ice Pony walking away.

"Who was that, Frank?" Maxine asked.

"Just some Ice Pony asking for directions to the bakery, Maxine." Francis the Flame Pony replied, bushing a large piece of rock out the shop.

"You don't know where the bakery is though." Maxine replied in surprise.

"He doesn't know that." Francis the Flame Pony replied with a chuckle.

* * *

Stitch Rose Shay had been closed for a few days, mostly due to their own volunteer work to help rebuild much of the shops that had been detonated during the battle with the spiders. With much of the reconstruction well under way by stone cutter Flame Ponies, Stitch, Rose, and Crow were able to once more open for business. Orders had been placed by Ms. Fleece for several new banners, along with many other regular Flame Pony orders concerning common apparel.

Rose carried a rather large bundle of cloth on her back, a banner for the castle, and bucked it onto the cart waiting outside. Visually tired, Rose took a deep breath and let out an exhaustive sigh before returning inside.

"How many orders do we have left, Stitch?" Rose asked.

"Sixty-two." Stitch replied, checking the stone slate in front of her.

"You're kidding!" Rose exclaimed in disbelief.

Quickly making her way over to the counter, Rose took the stone slate to have a gander at it herself and felt her heart drop at the remaining sixty-two orders waiting to be filled.

"The good news is that we're finished with the Ms. Fleece's order for the castle." Stitch informed her.

"What the bad news?" Rose asked curiously.

"Crow called in sick today." Stitch replied.

"What!" Rose exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, he had the Mail Pony drop by to let us know." Stitch explained.

"I'm taking the rest of the day off." Rose said hastily, making for the door.

"You can't! We have orders we need to fill!" Stitch shouted, leaping from over the counter and latching herself onto the back leg of Rose.

"Crow is sick! Let go!" Rose said defiantly, attempting to shake her off.

"He'll be fine! I can't finish all these orders by myself!" Stitch protested, refusing to let go.

While the two mare Flame Ponies struggled against one another with raised voices, the small bell hanging over the door jingled as the door swung open. A small Ice Pony colt stepped into the shop, he was a unicorn, he was light blue in color, and his cloudy mane seemed to be caught in a breeze that only he could feel. He did not have a cutie mark, but the way the young colt carried himself seemed to ooze confidence. Both Rose and Stitch stared at the young colt in a blank stare.

"Are you the owners of this establishment?" The young Ice Pony colt asked.

"Are you lost little colt?" Stitch asked in a babyish voice.

"Little?" The young Ice Colt snapped, his face turning a darker blue from embarrassment.

"We're the owners, what can we do for you?" Rose asked, quickly pulling her leg free from Stitch's grasp.

"I am Reginald Van Freeze, third son of the Freeze family, and four time winner of the Artic Fashion Gala. I am here to assess the possibility of a potential merger of our clothing stores and your…" Reginald paused for a moment to look over the crude and rigid store before him. "Shoppe."

"But you're just a foal." Stitch remarked in surprise.

"My age has nothing to do with my skills! I have designed gowns and clothing for the richest and fanciest of ponies the world over! Ponies would crawl on all fours just to get an appointment with me to design them something!" Reginald snapped back, his face flushing once more.

"Then why aren't you working with them?" Stitch asked curiously.

Reginald seemed taken a back, he had let his bolstering get the better of him. Truth of the matter was that Flame Pony clothing was quickly becoming a very sought after commodity. Seeing as there was only one shop in all of Equestria that produced it, the other high end business ponies would sure to be coming around offering for their own mergers to capitalize on this craze. Reginald's father had decided to strike a deal before any pony else and had left this task to his youngest son who was desperate to prove himself.

"Like I said, I'm here to see if your shop has what it takes to make it in the big leagues." Reginald reiterated.

"Big leagues?" Rose asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Designing for the most respected of ponies, celebrities, nobles, foreign ambassadors, and even the Princesses." Reginald explained.

"We're not interested, thanks." Rose said flatly, obviously done with the whole conversation.

Rose moved towards the door, much to the horror of both Reginald and Stitch; both for different reasons.

"You can't leave Rose! We have orders to fill!" Stitch shouted in protest.

"S-S-Surely you wouldn't want to throw away this opportunity to expand your business!" Reginald shouted with great concern.

"I'm going to go take care of Crow." Rose said defiantly.

"Crow would want you to stay here and help! Rarity always said that the clients came first!" Stitch protested once more.

"Indeed! Wouldn't… uh… um… Crow! Wouldn't Crow at least consider this opportunity?" Reginald asked, struggling to capitalize on what Stitch had said.

Rose paused at the door. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the pleading looks on both their faces. It was obvious that what they did here meant a lot to Stitch, that without Crow or herself being here Stitch wouldn't be able to manage on her own. Reginald seemed to be around the same age as Stitch, even though he put up a strong front, it was obvious from the worry on his face that this 'deal' of his meant more to him than it did them. With a defeated sigh, Rose turned away from the door, silently apologizing to Crow for not being there for him.

"Alright, let's get to it." Rose mumbled heading towards the back of the shop.

"Yes!" Reginald and Stitch exclaimed together.

* * *

Bleak Weather stood in armory of Castle Char down in the dungeons. It was rather barren to be called such a place. It housed more relics then it did actual armaments, but it was most likely emptied for the battle against the Orc. Having been reassigned to be a Soldier Pony rather than Labor Pony by Ray Horizon, Bleak was still fuming over the colt Solar Wind that showed him up. Spinel and Topaz were rummaging around in some stone chests looking for some armor to supply him with.

"Here we go." Topaz said aloud.

Bleak could see a worn chest plate, and some grieves in Topaz's hooves. It wasn't as shiny or as new as General Ray's but Bleak had worn way worst growing up. Trying the chest plate on for size, it slid on without much difficulty, fitting snuggling around him, and his grieves were adjustable which made it a perfect fit. The armor was layered with a thin coat of frost from the freezing touch of Bleak's hide, and made it look much cooler in Bleak's opinion.

"Alright, let's get topside and show you how we do things." Spinel said, heading towards the dungeon door.

"I don't get a sword?" Bleak asked curiously.

"Why would you want a sword?" Topaz asked curiously.

"All the Ice Ponies in the Frozen North carry swords." Bleak replied.

"Why?" Spinel asked curiously.

"Why not?" Bleak countered his question.

"Because you can conjure up a blast of ice, what's the point of the sword when you can just freeze something solid?" Spinel asked again.

"Well…" Bleak began, trying hard to think of a good reason. "It's… cool?"

Topaz and Spinel looked at one another. Checking the sides of their flanks, a small smile formed across their faces with the ideas of swords being a part of their attire.

"We'll bring it up at the next meeting." Topaz said excitedly.

"I'm going to want two swords." Spinel remarked happily at the idea.

Bleak followed the two Flame Ponies up from the dungeon. Noticing that the extra weight of the armor, Bleak was mildly annoyed having to climb the steps, but it beat the hay out of shoveling snow or rocks. Being led out of Castle Char, Topaz and Spinel escorted Bleak to the east side of the Ashen Fields where there was even more construction going on.

"Where are we going?" Bleak asked after a while.

"To Dash Academy." Topaz explained. "Seeing as your stay here will be brief for the most part, you're going to get a crash course with Academy Leader Flare Fizzle for a day or two on how we do things."

As they approached the Academy, it was obvious that it was still being built, but what surprised him was that the Academy was for pegasi ponies. In the Frozen North, the Royal Air Force was one of thee, if not, most difficult programs to enter. With lineage, letters of recommendations, money, and political influence all-being needed to even ask for an application to join. Bleak marveled at all the Flame Pony pegasi that flew overhead, running drills, practicing formations, and just honing their skills.

"Don't think we're just dumping you off on some other pony, Flare Fizzle is one, if not, the most strategic minds we have in the Ashen Fields. You'll learn a lot from her." Spinel said reassuringly.

The main doors to the Academy had not yet been installed, which allowed them to walk right in. Parts of the roof were still missing, although is worked well into the design they were going for, as large sun roofs were being installed to allow pegasi Flame Ponies easy access from the air. Everything looked very new, the stone was sleek, marble seemed to shine, and Bleak gawked at the craftsmanship of the Flame Pony stone cutters; comparing it only to the ice sculptors of the Frozen North.

Spinel walked off for a moment while Topaz stayed behind with Bleak. Bleak looked around at the rooms being built, most likely classrooms to teach young recruits, while other parts seemed to barracks for ponies on call. Spinel returned with Flare Fizzle after a few minutes had gone by.

"Ma'am, this here is Bleak Weather. General Horizon has personally requested him to be given the chance to become a Soldier Pony." Spinel introduced her to him. "Bleak, this is your new teacher, Commander Flare Fizzle."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Flare said politely.

Bleak had only heard muffled noises coming from Spinel. His heart was beating so loud that it rang in his ears. Never before had Bleak seen such a beautiful mare, the way her fire fizzled off her elegant wings. The piercing no nonsense look in her eyes sent shivers down Bleak's spine as the thoughts of Ray seemed to 'fizzle' away.

"The pleasure- no, the honor is mine, Commander." Bleak said humbly, bowing his head to her. "To be in the presence of such a high ranking, strategic tactician that thwarted one of the greatest threats ever faced in the Ashen Fields is truly humbling if not overwhelming."

"H-Hardly. Spiders are very simple minded. Strategy barely played a part in it." Flare replied, feeling a bit flustered by Bleak's praise.

"It is no wonder why young Ice Pony fillies look up to you as an inspiration. Your humbleness is only surpassed by your intellectual mind and radiant confidence you cast." Bleak continued.

" _Bleak you sly dog, you should write greeting cards for Stablemark."_ Bleak thought to himself.

"We'll leave it in your hooves, Commander." Topaz said.

Giving her a salute, Topaz and Spinel headed for the exit leaving Flare and Bleak alone. Flare was still bit flustered, the idea of being a role model to young fillies never occurred to her. Whether or not this was true was beside the point, Bleak had made a good first impression, and his smug smile showed that he knew he had won her over.

"Commander Fla-" Bleak began to speak when a sudden crash shook the room.

A large stone pillar had fallen over. It seemed slightly chipped from the impact but the stone pillar was meant to be placed upright before the Stone Cutter Flame Ponies were to chisel it. The metal chains the Stone Cutter Ponies were using to lift it had a wink link somewhere and snapped causing it to fall. The commotion drew a lot of attention but thankfully no pony was hurt.

"I got it." A voice rang out over the murmurs of Flame Ponies looking on.

Bleak watched as a rather brawny and tough looking Flame Pony pegasi headed over to the pillar. Feeling his mouth drop open, Bleak watched as the Flame Pony single hoofed lifted the end of the pillar all by himself. It was sure to weigh nearly half a ton, but this pegasi Flame Pony lifted it as if it were a mere parcel. Flapping his wings, the pegasi Flame Pony flew up into the air, lifting the pillar up with him. Standing it on its end, receiving several cheers and claps from the on looking Flame Ponies. Bleak's mouth still hung open as Flare quickly walked away from him to approach this pegasi Flame Pony who seemed to thrive on the attention.

"What have I told you about doing that, Wisp?" Flare demanded, sounding annoyed.

"It was just one pillar, Flare Bear, it wasn't even that heavy." Wisp replied, trying to sound suave.

"The last time you did something like that you had thrown your back out." Flare stated angrily.

"I told you not to tell no pony!" Wisp hissed, looking around to see if any pony heard her.

"Don't expect me to massage you again if you come home twisted up like a pretzel." Flare snapped at him.

"Wait…" Wisp said thinking about it. "Is my place home, or is your place home? Cause you've come over to at my place for the last couple of days but-"

"Are you trying to embarrass me in front of every pony?" Flare hissed, covering his mouth with her hoof.

"If I recall," Wisp began, moving her hoof away from his mouth. "You were the one that kissed me in front of every pony."

Flare's mane sizzled in embarrassment. Her face flushing as Wisp leaned closer to her. Bleak's heart was squashed like a watermelon under a mallet as the frighteningly strong pegasi Flame Pony kissed Flare for all to see. There were some cat calls from the Flame Ponies around them, a few sharp whistles as Bleak's mane flared in bitterness.

" _What is with these Flame Pony colts?" What's an Ice Pony got to do? Fight a dragon to get pretty pony?"_ Bleak thought to himself.

* * *

"The Great Dragon Char wrestled against the Void in vain, for it tore it from its claws, snapping its very bone, and dragging it through the portal!" Princess Sapphire exclaimed dramatically.

A swirling vortex of snow represented the King's Portal; the sculpted Ice Dragon was magically moved through it as it turned to snow to visually represent its disappearance into the other dimension. Like it or not, Tea was seemingly captivated by Sapphire's ability at storytelling, but no more so then Chapel and Florence who hung on every word eager to hear more.

"With Smolder's power fading, the King's Portal began to close. In his last act, Smolder shared with me his parting words and this metal seal. 'I'm leaving the rest to you and the others.' It was then that the portal closed, trapping Smolder within the Void and leaving us without any means of getting him out." Sapphire narrated.

With her magic, Sapphire dissolved the Smolder sculpture along with the swirling vortex of snow, leaving not but her own self sculpture on the field. Florence and Chapel clung to one another, hearts racing between them, emotionally invested in Sapphire's story while Tea felt the need to ask for more.

"I thought you said we could rescue him?" Tea asked curiously.

"Yeah!" Florence and Chapel shouted in unison.

"At this point we have had no means of doing so. It wasn't until a few days later that I figured out what Smolder meant with his parting words and the seal he had given me." Sapphire replied, casually wave her wings to and fro; magically removing the ice that caked Tea's room.

"What did it mean?" Chapel demanded, taking hold of Sapphire's hoof.

"Out with it!" Florence demanded, taking a more direct approach and clutching Sapphire's face.

"Alright! Restrain yourselves!" Sapphire shouted back, shaking herself free from them.

Sapphire's horn began to glow once more. A sudden pop had a metal seal appearing out of thin air. It floated down to Tea who was quickly mobbed by Florence and Chapel to get a better look at it.

"I don't get it." Chapel remarked, looking at it confused.

"Neither did I at first, but Smolder has proven that he can be quite clever when he chooses to be." Sapphire explained. "With his dormant magic channeling itself through relics of his ancestors, giving Smolder visions of the past, I was able to do something similar and see into Smolder's past."

"Shut up." Florence remarked in disbelief. "You can do that?"

"Ice Ponies are credited for our spirituality, and use of magic to connect on more… intimate levels of the mind." Sapphire said, flushing slightly. "With my spiritual reading for Smolder during his Coronation, I… uh… well I'm sort of… spiritually connected with him… to some degree. G-Giving me the ability to tap into his past with the help of objects he owns; the seal being the obvious."

Tea did not like the idea of Sapphire being so 'intimately connected' with Smolder, but after hearing the events that led up to today, Tea was able to look past it as Smolder seemed to have an agenda.

"So what did you see?" Tea asked curiously, examining the metal seal.

"Well I was planning to share this with every pony back home, in the Frozen North…" Sapphire began, knowing that her stay here and had gone on longer then she had anticipated.

Sapphire let that thought sink in for a moment. She had been here for several hours, even though the lantern she had come for was within her reach. Most assuredly, Tea would have let her take the lantern to save Smolder knowing that the need was dire but yet she had allowed herself the time to socialize with them. More to the point, Sapphire could not remember the last time she had performed an 'ice sculpture show' for any pony, not since she used to treat the foals and fillies back in the Frozen North in her youth. Secretly, Sapphire had a great love for sculpting, a hobby her father was more than glad to share with her and teach her. Being able to share this with Tea, Florence, and Chapel, being able to be herself had gotten her to realize that she had unknowingly allowed herself to have fun; for the brief time that it was.

Tea, Chapel, and Florence patiently waited to see what sort of regal excuse she was going to come with to keep this information to herself.

"I suppose telling you three now couldn't hurt." Sapphire admitted.

Sapphire left her chair, sitting with on the floor with the rest of them. Taking Chapel's hoof, along with Florence, she urged Tea to do the same as the four mares sat hoof in hoof in a circle. With her magic, Sapphire levitated the seal to the center of their circle as it started to pulse a magical glow.

"Every pony closer your eyes and relax. Try your best to quiet your mind." Sapphire instructed, her eyes starting to glow a brilliant blue.

Florence and Chapel did as they were told, almost too excited to be a part of this. Tea was slow to close her eyes, her mind was quite a storm at the moment over several different things, but did her best to try and push it all away for the moment. As soon as her eyes had closed, Tea was once more inside Smolder's Royal Chamber at Castle Char. The four mares were still hoof in hoof, their eyes closed but seeing the memories projected through the seal with Sapphire's magic.

There was a yellow and black blur that speeded around the room; Tea was able to make out that it was Smolder moving extremely fast; as if his memory was being fast-forwarded. The room barely changed through this, blurs would enter and leave in a flash, the garbled mess of words running over one another.

" _I need your help._ " Smolder's voice echoed.

"… _it will hurt…_ " Said another voice Tea was not familiar with.

More of Smolder's words came echoing. None seemed to coincide with one another. It was as if bits and pieces of his past were scrambled being played out of order. At times, there was great pain in his voice, while others a deep sorrow, but mixed within all of this was the voices of Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, General Hearth, Wingston, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and many more. Everything suddenly stopped, Smolder sat within the center of the circle, his armor rent and his body badly beaten from the battle with the Orc. Smolder sat facing Sapphire; there was no sound that came from the licks of his flames.

" _For some time now I've been hearing something call to me from the Void, and that something has become someone, and she is calling for help. There is a storm, the Void as we call it, that Lord Smoke locked away harming creatures I've come to know as Void Walkers, and I've promised to help them. Although, that's not the only reason I'm leaving._ " Smolder began, his voice echoing.

" _I want my family back… if that's still a possibility. This is something I have to do, so please understand why I left. You once said that the friends I have made have become my family. That they believed in me just as much as I believed in them. So I'm choosing to believe that my family will come for me, and that we can save these Void Walkers together."_ Smolder's voice echoed.

" _The Portal within the Ashen Fields is one of four. The other three are scattered across Equestria. Finding these might give you more clues on what this storm is, and how we can stop it. Seeing as you smashed our only clue to the past, you might have better luck elsewhere."_ Smolder's voice echoed, with Sapphire frowning slightly.

" _Seeing as the Ashen Fields portal is the only one we know that works, and that it only responds to my family's flame, I should tell you that Tea has a lantern with a bit of my fire in it."_ Smolder paused for a moment. " _If you do decide to get the lantern, let Tea know I'm sorry, she doesn't like it when I do these sorts of things, but that's just because she cares about me"_

Tea smiled to herself. Even battered and beaten, Smolder was still worried about how her feelings.

" _I'll do what I can from within here."_ Smolder said conclusively. " _Thank you, Sapphire."_

With that Smolder dissolved away. The Royal Chambers faded into darkness. Tea's eyes fluttered open, as did Florence's and Chapel's, once more sitting within Tea's room. Sapphire's eyes were still glowing brightly, her horn pulsing with the metal seal. The magic flickered from the metal seal, dropping to the floor. Sapphire's eyes returned to normal, although they seemed dim and dull as she too slumped to the floor.

"Sapphire?" Tea asked in surprise.

Sapphire did no stir.

"We've killed a Princess!" Chapel shouted in horror.

"She's just unconscious, take a chill pill, jeez." Florence remarked, checking her pulse.


	9. Chapter 9: Old Memories

The Kingdom of the Frozen North covered much of the inhospitable parts of the glacial tundra, with Castle Fjord being the obvious seat of power in which Lord Tundra and Lady Frost ruled from. Although, inhospitable, freezing temperatures was not usually sought after by friend or foe, which meant that Ice Ponies lived in relatively peaceful times; mostly keeping to themselves. With Yakyakistan being their closest neighbors, the Yaks and the Ice Ponies had countless years of prosperity and good will between one another. It was rare to ever receive visitors, rare to ever have political affairs outside their own borders, but it wasn't uncommon to find themselves helping lost hikers in the mountains or assisting the Yak's with avalanches from time to time. Twilight and her friends were the first real Noble Guests to be received by the Ice Ponies in several decades; prompting Lord Tundra to give them a tour of Castle Fjord.

"Ice Pony history is laced with spiritual and intellectual achievements." Lord Tundra began in a very proud tone of voice.

Lady Frost and Lord Tundra were escorting Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie through the Main Hall of the Castle. The large marble pillars that stretched towards the high ceilings had been carved in great detail, showcasing a visual retelling of the beginnings of Ice Ponies. Every pony seemed to notice Lady Frost's bored expression while Lord Tundra continued to regale them with their history; it was as if she had already heard this before.

"We were in our primal nature, an aggressive uncultured pony, incapable of feeling, brutally fighting with whatever we came across with our thick ice and cold hearts!" Lord Tundra bellowed dramatically, pointing the pillar to the left.

There was a collective 'oooo' that came from Twilight and her friends as they saw a carving of an ice covered pony fighting with a polar bear. Lady Frost made no such noise, nor did she show any sort of emotion, silently wishing the tour to be over.

"It wasn't until Lord Fjord, my great-great-great-great-great-great- grandfather had chosen to take a different approach to our primal way of life. Choosing to question the mysterious of our stars, the questions of a pony's role in this universe, turning to a spiritual way of thinking rather than the violent alternative that had preceded us." Lord Tundra remarked proudly, placing his hoof over his heart in front of the next pillar.

Yet another collective 'ah' came from Twilight and her friends as they saw a carving of Lord Fjord, deep in thought, with depictions of planets, math, and other eccentric things floating above him. Once more Lady Frost stood off from the pack, heaving an audible sigh, not giving a hay bale of what was going on.

"From this moment forward, Ice Ponies have strived to achieve a sense of self, adopting a hierarchy structure, placing worth in a pony's actions and knowledge, rather than materials and strength. With this in place, Ice Ponies have never fought in wars nor has ever declared them. We seek to understand, to learn, and better ourselves with all of Equestria." Lord Tundra stated proudly, stopping at the third pillar.

"Hooray." Lady Frost muttered unenthusiastically.

Lord Tundra quickly strolled over to Lady Frost and pulled her to the side away from the other ponies.

" _Martha, you said you wouldn't do this._ " Lord Tundra whispered at her.

" _I'm not doing anything!_ " Lady Frost whispered back.

" _You're making that 'kill me' face again_." Lord Tundra pointed out.

" _You make everything sound so lame!_ " Lady Frost hissed in her defense.

" _We have guests, Martha; this is how we welcome guests._ " Lord Tundra whispered back to her.

" _You gave the tour to the polar bear just last week!_ " Lady Frost retorted.

" _He was curious!"_ Lord Tundra hissed in his defense.

"Excuse me, Lord Tundra? Lady Frost?" Twilight spoke up.

Lord Tundra and Lady Frost turned around to see the ponies watching them very closely. Clearing their throats they resumed their regal postures.

"Yes, what is it Ms. Sparkle?" Lady Frost asked politely.

"I've noticed that Castle Fjord has certain similarities to Castle Char, I was just wondering the two were connected somehow?" Twilight asked, looking about the Main Hall.

"Excellent question, Ms. Sparkle." Lord Tundra declared excitedly; Lady Frost sighed once more.

Lord Tundra motioned for every pony to follow him towards the large marble staircase that led towards the second level of Castle Fjord, although rather than two large doors waiting at the top, there was large corridor that held a great many marble doors. At the end of the corridor led to yet another staircase that probably led to the third tier of the castle, which Castle Char did not have.

"Castle Fjord was the first to be built, designed by the late Oscar Van Snow, named after Lord Fjord and designed with the idea of hierarchy in mind. For the three levels of Castle Fjord, the Lower Level, Mid-Level, and Top Level. The top being of course for Royalty and Nobles, the middle being for the business and scholars, and the bottom being for the common pony." Lord Tundra explained, escorting them down the immense corridor.

"After the uprising of the Flame Ponies over the Dragons, Lord Smoke traveled to the Kingdom of the Frozen North seeking help in building his new empire. Lord Fjord extended an olive branch to our brethren, offering the blueprints of Castle Fjord to help them get started." Lord Tundra stopped turning to point to a blank wall.

Every pony look curiously at the blank wall, wondering what it was that Lord Tundra was referring to when he pulled Lady Frost aside once more to speak with her.

" _Martha…_ " Lord Tundra whispered coldly.

" _Yes, beloved?_ " Lady Frost asked whimsically.

" _Where are my sculptures?_ " Lord Tundra asked flatly.

" _Why, where ever could they be?_ " Lady Frost asked sarcastically, feigning her surprise.

" _Those took me two months to make, Martha, two months!"_ Lord Tundra hissed.

" _It only took two minutes to melt._ " Lady Frost said with a victorious grin.

"Lord Tundra, if I may interrupt?" Rarity asked aloud.

Still fuming from his lost art, Lord Tundra turned to Rarity, trying his best to look pleasant.

"What is it, Ms. Rarity?" Lord Tundra asked.

"I was just wondering if you sculpted all the pillars in the Main Hall, and the sculptures outside before we were brought in." Rarity pointed out.

Lady Frost groaned loudly while Lord Tundra ignored her. Proudly throwing out his chest, Lord Tundra smiled wide.

"How kind of you to notice, I have indeed carved the pillars in the Main Hall and the sculptures outside." Lord Tundra said proudly. "There would have been more here but I'm afraid they met an untimely demise."

Lord Tundra looked over his shoulder, giving Lady Frost a rather accusing stare while Lady Frost stuck her tongue out at him.

"Might I inquire to how the two of you became each-others special some pony?" Rarity asked, taking an interest in their attitude towards one another.

Lady Frost flushed quite a bit at these words, while Lord Tundra didn't seem too bothered by it.

"I suppose it would have begun back when I was just a young Prince attempting to find a suitable mate in which to rule the Frozen North with." Lord Tundra began thinking back on it.

"They're tired from their long journey, dear, perhaps it would be best to show them to their rooms now." Lady Frost interrupted, trying to end the story right then and there.

"Shush! You're ruining the flashback!" Pinkie Pie hissed at her.

At Pinkie Pie's words the world started to ripple away as everything turned a sepia tone with grainy film rolling over it. There was much younger Lord Tundra, a Prince at this point, standing with a much older looking Ice Pony Colt, wearing the same crown Lord Tundra had.

" _My father, King Roderick Tundra, had informed me of my need to find a special some pony before my eighteenth birthday or I would be paired with a pony of my parents choosing It had been a long standing tradition within my family, it wasn't until a century ago that they eased back and gave us a chance to choose a special some pony for ourselves."_ Lord Tundra's voice echoed through the sequence.

" _Just like Princess Sapphire!_ " Twilight's voice echoed.

" _Except that you forgot to inform Sapphire of this entirely."_ Lady Frost's voice echoed.

" _Exactly, only this time I had time to try and find a special some pony without having it forced upon me. Unfortunately, the High Nobles had already arranged for several dinners to be taken place at their respected homes in the attempts to win favor over me with their daughters."_ Lord Tundra explained.

" _High Nobles? Sounds like some sort of fancy ponies._ " Applejack's voice remarked.

" _The High Nobles are distinguished Ice Pony families that have made countless contributions to the Frozen North and have impeccable academic and social skills allowing them to be prime candidates for Royal courtships."_ Lady Frost's voice explained.

" _Were you one of the High Nobles, Lady Frost?"_ Fluttershy's voice asked quietly.

" _Sweet Celestia no, pampered twats the lot of them were."_ Lady Frost's voice said with venom.

" _If you weren't a High Noble, how did you and Lord Tundra meet?"_ Rainbow Dash's voice asked curiously.

" _Like I was saying, I was to indulge the High Nobles and attend said dinner invitations to meet my possible suitors."_ Lord Tundra's voice cut in.

Prince Tundra was sitting at a very elegant marble table with lavish food, decadent silverware, and a mare clinging onto his arm refusing to let go. The table was surrounded by very fancy looking Ice Ponies who toasted and boasted their worth to him and wished him well.

" _Who's she?"_ Lady Frost asked coldly.

" _That is Lady Snowfall. One of many Noble mares I was forced to have dinner with in their attempts to win me over._ " Lord Tundra explained.

" _Do we still have dungeons?_ " Lady Frost asked curiously.

" _Stop interrupting!_ " Pinkie Pie shouted.

" _You can imagine that amount of Noble Ice Ponies with suitable daughters; I was having dinner at a different home every day for over three weeks._ " Lord Tundra explained.

Prince Tundra was forcefully fed different types of dishes, each especially made for him. There were more sequences of dinner dates that soon followed, each one seeming just as awkward and cringe worthy as the last. There were even times where Prince Tundra was attempting to escape from the steel grasp of some of the mares that locked onto his arm, while other times he seemed to be hiding from them throughout the castle.

" _It was so unbelievable exhausting having to divide my attention between so many ponies."_ Lord Tundra remarked sadly.

" _Oh, the horror."_ Lady Frost mumbled sarcastically.

" _It was getting close to my eighteenth birthday and I had yet to find a special some pony. Dreading the idea of having to adhere to yet another dinner request from another Noble, I told my father I had taken ill and hid in my room."_ Lord Tundra explained.

Prince Tundra threw open the large windows of his room, his horn began to glow as he created an ice bridge from his window to the ground below. It was obvious that Prince Tundra was attempting to sneak out without his father's knowledge, adorning a black cloak to conceal is identity, and disappeared into the town below.

" _You ran away?"_ Fluttershy asked in surprise.

" _Not quite. Even a Prince needs some time to explore his muses."_ Lord Tundra explained. " _I had heard that there was to be a gallery taking place in town where commoner ponies were displaying their artwork."_

" _And that's where you met Lady Frost!_ " Rarity exclaimed excitedly.

" _Hardly._ " Lady Frost said sounding annoyed. " _I wouldn't be caught anywhere near one of those snooze fests."_

Prince Tundra walked amongst the common Ice Ponies. Coming to a rather large ice building that had a large banner titled Gallery, Prince Tundra made his way inside looking very giddy about the whole thing. He admired the different pieces of art on display, ranging from sculptures, paintings, pottery, and clothing.

" _I had met several talented artists that day, learning much for my own craft, and being inspired to continue to refine my own work._ " Lord Tundra reminisced fondly. " _Of course I was careful not to out my own identity, lest I be mobbed by every pony within earshot."_

" _But what about Lady Frost?_ " Applejack asked, sounding confused.

" _Well by that point I had gotten hungry, and decided that I would try a local family owned restaurant."_ Lord Tundra replied.

Prince Tundra left the gallery, looking very pleased, and headed down the shoveled snow path. A familiar growl of a stomach could be heard as Prince Tundra seemed to look quite famished. Looking about he set his sights on a rather wholesome looking eatery that seemed to be lively, if not, inviting. Being asked to seat himself where he liked, Prince Tundra sat at a table near the corner. All the while his cloak still masking his appearance, looking over the menu to see what there was to eat.

" _Can't we skip this?"_ Lady Frost moaned uneasily.

" _No! On with the flashback!_ " Pinkie Pie cried.

Prince Tundra was still looking over the menu when a young mare, draped in an apron, biting down on a pencil, carrying a notepad came up to wait his table. This, of course, was the younger version of Lady Frost. She carried a very hollow expression that any pony working as a waiter knew all too well as she half-heartedly greeted the hooded stranger.

"Welcome to the 'Jolly Frost', where we serve the up smiles with every dish." Waitress Frost said flatly. "Can I start you off with some breadsticks?"

" _Hahahaha! Nice apron!"_ Spike laughed aloud.

" _Spike… it's not… nice… to… laugh…"_ Twilight was fighting back the urge to laugh along with Spike something fierce.

" _Just get on with it!"_ Lady Frost bellowed.

" _So like any smart pony, I opted for the breadsticks and ordered the special of the day, the 'Soupy Sails'."_ Lord Tundra continued.

Waitress Frost took down the order, taking a second look at the hooded pony seated in front of her.

"No hoods at the table, sir." Waitress Frost remarked.

The young Lady Frost pulled the hood back off of Prince Tundra who seemed quite surprised by this, but not as surprised as the young Lady Frost who immediately slammed it back down over his head. Panicked, the young Lady Frost lifted the hood a smidge to see if it was who she thought it was, seeing Prince Tundra's bright blue eyes she the hood back down over his face.

" _It was safe to say that she was surprised to see me."_ Lord Tundra explained further.

" _Was it love at first sight?"_ Rarity asked excitedly.

" _Hardly! I had the Prince of the Frozen North in my family's restaurant and to make matters worse, he had run away!"_ Lady Frost hissed. " _Don't even get me started on the guards."_

" _I forgot about that part!"_ Lord Tundra exclaimed in surprise.

" _Just what we needed, a runaway Prince to be found in our restaurant, ruined for life._ " Lady Frost muttered bitterly.

" _I didn't know that my father had come to check on me to see how I was feeling. I believed that he was to be busy for the rest of the night with his meeting, but after realizing that I snuck out he called his Royal Guards together to go and find me. I had no idea at the time but Martha wasn't having it."_ Lord Tundra chuckled.

" _So what happened? Did you get caught?"_ Rainbow Dash asked.

" _He wouldn't leave unless he got something to eat."_ Lady Frost retorted.

"Get the hay out of my restaurant!" Waitress Frost hissed at him.

"I haven't gotten my soup yet." Prince Tundra hissed back.

"Forget the stupid soup! If the guards find you in here they'll arrest all of us!" Waitress Frost hissed back.

"Can I have an order of the scallops as well?" Prince Tundra asked looking back over the menu.

Prince Tundra sat pointing to things on the menu, much to the frantic pleas from the young Lady Frost to leave, doing her best to seem respectful while attempting to throw him out.

" _This is so adorable."_ Rarity remarked with a loving sigh.

" _It was miserable."_ Lady Frost remarked.

" _As it turned out, it was Martha's first day waitressing, and she didn't quite have it down yet."_ Lord Frost reminisced.

" _My father insisted that I take a summer job, which meant working with the family, rather than going to 'Coldchella' like I had planned. I despised working in the restaurant, all the grease, the noise, the cleaning, and having to be on your hooves all day was just awful."_ Lady Frost moaned.

" _Were you nervous? Having to serve Prince Tundra?"_ Fluttershy asked curiously.

" _No mare with any self-respect would fall to pieces over a colt, let alone a dorky prince."_ Lady Frost stated firmly.

Waitress Frost's arm shook violently attempting to pour Prince Tundra a drink, splashing juice all about the table while Prince Tundra did his best to try to keep his cup under her pour. In reality, Prince Tundra was a very handsome colt; his picture was in the Northern Times almost every week with a story about his dinner dates with the High Nobles. Every mare at school had at some point or another fantasied about what their own dinner date with the Prince would be like. The young Lady Frost was no exception, Prince Tundra was sure to marry a High Noble's daughter, what was the harm in having a celebrity crush she had thought.

Despite her attempts to remain calm, Waitress Frost ended up spilling much of Prince Tundra's drink all over the table, tripping on her own apron and throwing the bowl of soup right into his face. Accidentally using Prince Tundra's cloak as a rag, pouring from the left instead of the right, sneezing on his dessert, but worst of all, stabbing him in the arm with a complimentary toothpick. With all this going on, the Ice Ponies around them were having a good laugh at both of their misfortunes.

" _That's rough."_ Applejack remarked.

" _How awful! What did you do?"_ Rarity asked, feeling embarrassed for Lady Frost.

" _I did what any young mare would do after making a complete fool of herself in front of a Prince."_ Lady Frost said miserably.

The young Lady Frost started to cry. Her face in her hooves, unable to look at the Prince. Countless hours day dreaming her perfect dinner with the Prince would be like, only to have it come crashing down around her.

Prince Tundra, pulling the toothpick from his arm, could not help but pity her. With the sounds of water freezing, the young Lady Frost looked up from her hooves to see Prince Tundra blowing ice into his own hooves. The ice piling into his hooves took shape into a bouquet of sculpted roses, which he offered to her.

"Please stop crying." Prince Tundra asked with a smile.

Waitress Frost flushed a deep purple, nervously taking the bouquet of sculpted roses from him. There was a moment where the world seemed to fall away as the young Lady Frost and Prince Tundra locked eyes with one another. It was then immediately ruined by the sudden barrage of metal horseshoes stomping their way into the restaurant; a squadron of Royal Guard ponies marched in with King Rodrick Tundra strode in. Every Ice Pony bowed before their King, Waitress Frost sat paralyzed in fear as the King's eyes landed upon the two of them; able to see through his son's meager disguise.

"Charles Emerson Tundra the Third! How dare you sneak out under false pretenses of-" King Roderick stopped short of his scolding.

Noticing the young mare with a bouquet of ice sculpted roses, King Roderick jumped to a very sensible, if not wrong, conclusion of what was going on. Clearing his throat, the King motioned Prince Tundra to come over, and he did so without hesitating.

"Is… is this your special some pony?" King Roderick asked quietly.

"What?" Prince Tundra whispered back, flushing himself.

"If you were sneaking out to see her, you could have told me." Lord Roderick whispered.

"Dad!" Prince Tundra hissed feeling embarrassed.

Straightening up, King Roderick signaled his guards to move out. Keeping his son close to him, the King turned to a very shock and moderately frightened Frost family.

"I want to express my gratitude for having my son over for dinner. I want to extend the same offer by having you over for dinner at Castle Fjord tomorrow night." Lord Roderick decreed more then offered.

With the frantic nods of the Frost Family, King Roderick ushered his son towards the door but felt Prince Tundra pulling on his arm.

"What?" King Roderick asked.

"I forgot to pay." Prince Rutherford whispered to him.

"You want to pay her a kiss goodbye?" Lord Roderick asked in surprise, almost admiring the hubris of his own son.

"Dad!" Prince Tundra hissed, flushing once more.

"Well, be quick about it." King Roderick remarked, stepping aside to allow his son to get by.

Prince Tundra hurried past his father, trying his best not to let any pony see his embarrassment. Stopping short in front of the young Lady Frost, her family just behind her, Prince Tundra felt his heart starting to race.

"I-I-I… uh… I… um…" Prince Tundra stammered, holding out a small sack of bits to her. "I hope you come… to dinner… tomorrow."

The young Lady Frost could not find any words to say, simply flushing, and trying to hide behind the bouquet of ice flowers she had.

"We most certainly will." Mrs. Frost said taking the sack of bits from him.

" _So that's when you two became each other's special some ponies?"_ Rarity asked curiously.

" _Pretty much."_ Lord Tundra remarked. " _I came back to eat at their restaurant several more times."_

" _Was it because you fell madly in love with her, even with all her faults?"_ Rarity asked.

" _Actually the soup there was very delicious."_ Lord Tundra remarked.

Prince Tundra thanked Mr. and Mrs. Frost for the meal. Turning to leave, the young Lady Frost got to her hooves and kissed him on the cheek in thanks for his gift.

" _But, I did end up falling very much in love with her."_ Lord Tundra concluded.

As the flashback ended, the world returned to its normal, full color, with Lady Frost flushed in embarrassment and Lord Tundra holding her hoof.

"What an odd set of circumstances that led to you to getting together." Pinkie Pie said sounding very amused.

"There was lot of things that made us a lot closer over the years, but that's where it started." Lord Tundra said lovingly, pressing his head against Lady Frost's endearingly.

"But, why are you so annoyed with all the ice sculptures Lord Tundra makes?" Twilight Sparkle asked curiously.

"He…" Lady Frost started to mumble, face flushing. "He should only make them for me."

* * *

Commander Sleet escorted General Hearth, recently retired, across a very long ice bridge that curved out around Castle Fjord, there were five more just like it, snaking its way in different directions leading to different levels of the castle and the town down below. The ice bridge they were currently on was named 'Noble Road' for it led directly into the heart of the top level of the Kingdom where the High Nobles lived. There were many whispers from other Ice Pony Nobles that were making their way down the ice bridge, staring at General Hearth with fascination. It wasn't uncommon to see Flame Ponies in the Frozen North; it was just unusual to see a new face on one.

"My apologies if I unnerved you back there, General, your family has been a part of mine for so long that finding you to be still alive came as an incredible shock to me." Commander Sleet apologized.

"I'm retired, but don't trouble yourself over it. I'm quite surprised myself to find that my brothers are still here." General Hearth replied.

"Including your sister." Commander Sleet added.

"Jewel is still alive as well?" General Hearth asked in both surprise and relief.

"Your family has grown considerably since arriving all those years ago." Commander Sleet stated. "They are much older now, but they have had families of their own."

"And my nephew is to marry your daughter, is that right?" General Hearth asked, trying to wrap his head around it.

"Your nephew Warrick was born here in the Frozen North, just a few month after your family arrived. He has grown into a fine Officer in our Brotherhood and seemed to fall head over hoof for my Wendy." Commander Sleet explained proudly. "It was just last month when Warrick came to me asking for my blessing in proposing to our Wendy, I can honestly say that it was hard for me to see my Wendy as anything more than my sweet little filly but-"

Commander Sleet stopped short, noticing that General Hearth was no longer walking alongside him. Turning back, he could see General Hearth standing a few ways back, staring at the ground, trembling slightly.

"General?" Commander Sleet asked with concern.

"Warrick…" General Hearth mumbled.

Commander Sleet walked back over to General Hearth, noticing that he seemed rather emotional. The flames on his mane flared softly, the quiver in his voice was enough to let him know that General Hearth was nearly at tears; even if he couldn't produce any.

"That's… that's my name…" General Hearth said slowly.

"I… had forgotten." Commander Sleet said softly. "Coal had thought the worse and decided to honor his son by giving him your name."

"I'm sorry… I just..." General Hearth mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, General, this is a time of healing and rejoicing." Commander Sleet replied, placing his hoof on his shoulder. "All it takes is time."

Nodding his head, General Hearth composed himself. Once more they traveled along the Noble Road into the heart of the Noble Sector where houses gleamed of frosty marble, the fanciest of ponies roamed the streets, silver and gold seemed to fill every window in every shop. Yet the atmosphere seemed light, the fancy Ice Ponies greeted them kindly, smiles were on nearly every Noble Ponies face, and there was even hearty laughter rather than rich snickering in the eateries.

Near the outskirts of the Noble Sector were the homes of the Noble Ice Ponies. These homes dictated several hundred acres of land, houses nearly twenty times the size of any Flame Pony building. The large marble doors carried sigils, crests, markings of the families that lived there. Eventually, General Hearth and Commander Sleet came to the one that bore the crest of Sleet, a large platinum seal with the runes of his forefathers carved into it.

"I had the great honor of welcoming your family into my home many years ago, General." Commander Sleet began. "In so doing, your family has brought not only pride and respect to my house, but memories I shall cherish forever. I get to once more welcome another member of the Hearth family to our home, and I hope that you will come to find it to be yours as well."

Knocking his hoof against the marble doors, Commander Sleet waited for the shuffling from the other side to finish as the marble doors opened a bit to him. An Ice Pony stood at the other side, glancing through the space to see who had knocked.

"Lord Commander, I didn't expect to see you home so early." The Ice Pony said with surprise, quickly opening the marble door wider to him.

"Some business came up, Kirk, is Coal and his family home?" Commander Sleet asked striding through with General Hearth following behind him.

"Yes, Lord Commander, but Lady Summer and Sir Warrick is on duty until tonight I'm afraid. Mistress Wendy is in town shopping." Kirk replied, surprised by General Hearth.

"Kirk, I would like to introduce General Warrick Hearth, the eldest son of the Hearth Family." Commander Sleet announced. "General, this is Kirk Summerland, my squire."

Kirk Summerland was a unicorn Ice Pony; he was young colt, probably a few years older than Ray. His hide was a bright blue, his mane seemed to billow flawlessly, and his cutie mark bore a frozen sword.

"Retired." General Hearth added.

"Any brother that has sworn the oath to serve thy Lord and Lady is worthy of such respect, General. It is an honor to meet you." Kirk said, bowing his head.

"Kirk, where is Coal and his family now?" Commander Sleet asked curiously.

"Lord Coal is at the back of the house, sir, he's instructing the little masters in swordplay." Kirk responded escorting them to said place.

"Do you have a squire, General?" Commander Sleet asked curiously.

"No, we don't have such… regulations in the Ashen Fields." General Hearth replied awkwardly.

"Interesting, here in the Frozen North, we can offer a young colt a squire position in the lower levels. In so doing, they before all the tasks expected of a squire, and in return they are given a knighthood." Commander Sleet summed it up for him.

"Is one of those tasks waiting around at the front gate? " General Hearth asked with a chuckle.

"I have enchanted the crest upon the gate, General, if any pony knocks upon it, I will know and teleport to it to greet the Lord Commander's guests." Kirk explained to him.

"Kirk takes his roll very seriously. He lives here with us, and spends much of his time preparing for the trials he will be taking to claim his place amongst our Knights. When he isn't training he watches over your younger nieces and nephews; keeping me informed of what goes on while I'm on duty." Commander Sleet explained further.

"I have more nieces? And more nephews?" General Hearth asked in surprise.

"Your family has grown, General." Commander Sleet reminded him.

"Two nieces, Summer and Lily Hearth. Three nephews, Warrick Hearth, Samson Hearth, and Henrik Kiln." Kirk listed off their names.

General Hearth stopped hard once more. Commander Sleet and Kirk took notice of this, realizing that he had taken meaning from these names, much like he did before. This time it was almost shock on his face.

"Kiln? Hothead Kiln?" General Hearth asked in disbelief.

"I'm sorry?" Commander Sleet asked sounding confused.

"Did my sister marry Drake 'Hothead' Kiln?" General Hearth asked again.

"Drake? Yes, they were married about a year after they came to the Frozen North. Did you not know of your sister's special some pony?" Commander Sleet asked curiously.

"Special some pony? Jewel _hated_ Drake with a passion! He would torment her relentlessly when we were foals and fillies, he would do anything just to see her get mad." General Hearth stated thinking back on it.

"Well I'm sure you can ask her about it when you see her." Commander Sleet replied, ushering him to follow once more.

The back of the Sleet Estate was mostly snow covered hillsides, a patch of forest that cut into the property but the trees themselves were bare of any pine. Near the house there was a stage made of stone where straw dummies were set up to train in both swordplay and archery. There was a viewing deck where other High Nobles could sit and watch young squires square off with one another. A gazeebo to entertain guests, a frozen pony made lake to play hockey on, or simply skate. It was quite tame for such a High Noble pony estate but it seemed to suit the humbleness of Commander Sleet's demeanor.

Two young Flame Pony colts, Henrik and Samson, no older then twelve, carried stone swords in their mouths. Striking the straw dummies, shaped like spiders, over and over again. They were being watched over by a much older colt, Coal, who was keeping a keen eye on their form, while shouting out 'attack' again and again as the two colts swung their swords.

Coal, much like his name, was a dark dirty black pegasi pony, bright red and yellow flames mixed together. His cutie mark was that of a hearth, having been gifted the same cutie mark as their father, although being the second born.

In the viewing stands were Jewel Kiln, her husband Drake Kiln, and their youngest daughter Lily, sat watching their son practice. Alongside them was Tinder Hearth, the youngest brother of the Hearth family, and his wife Bloom Hearth, heir to the Incandescence family. Along with them was Lady Catherin Sleet, wife of Commander Sleet. Seated next to her was Coal's wife, Scoria Hearth.

"If you ever want to beat the hide of a Snow Spider you'll have to strike without holding back!" Coal barked, watching Samson and Henrik take a breather.

"Ife goff ah funngee taffe en mife moffe." Henrik said with his stone sword in his mouth.

"You can put your sword down, Henrik." Coal instructed him.

"I've got a funny taste in my mouth." Henrik mumbled, licking his own hoof trying to rid himself of it.

"Meff toffee." Samson said pointing at his own sword in his mouth.

Rubbing the side of his temple, Coal mumbled something under his breath before taking a deep breath.

"The first colt that knocks their dummy down will get an extra scoop of ice cream after today's practice." Coal offered them.

"Ice Cream!" Henrik shouted in surprise.

"Iffe Creeff!" Samson shouted, with his sword still in his mouth.

The two colts started to strike the straw dummies once more. Taking care to not set fire to it by mistake, as it would be a violation of the rules and result in no ice cream. Coal smiled softly to himself at the eagerness of the two colts, looking up into the stands he got a smile from Scoria and a few waves from his family letting him know he was doing a good job. Noticing Lady Catherin getting to her hooves, her attention focused near the house, Coal turned to see what she was looking at. Commander Sleet and Kirk were escorting a Flame Pony to them, it was easy to make the two out from this distance, and believed the Flame Pony was a visiting neighbor from one of the other homes.

"Commander, you're home early!" Coal called out, stepping down from the stone stage to greet him. "I was under the impression that you… you… would…"

The closer Coal got the more he started to realize who exactly that Flame Pony was. Commander Sleet and Kirk did not stop to speak with him, instead they walked right by him to allow him speak to his elder brother unhindered.

General Hearth, although elated to see his brother Coal alive, was not too awestruck for words. Having known that his family was in the Frozen North had given him some peace of mind that they were, at the very least, safe.

"Hello, Coal." General Hearth said warmly.

Coal couldn't speak, his powerful, rock like demeanor seemed to melt away at the sight of his older brother. No words could bridge countless years they had been apart, or the last memories of his older brother looking young and powerful, decorated in his armor, but now such an elder pony with such kind features in his face. A feeling he had buried years ago, started to reemerge within him. At times he would have given anything to share just a few much needed words with his elder brother, but now he could not open his mouth without crying.

"Ash had a baby." General Hearth mentioned, speaking of his daughter. "Her name is Ray Horizon; she's got our father's temper, her father's eyes, her mother's heart, my spirit, and your wings."

The rest of the ponies in the viewing stands were on their hooves now trying to get a better look at who Coal was speaking with, starting to step down from seats and make their way over.

"I was always jealous of your wings, but you already knew that." General Hearth added.

"…Warrick…" Coal managed to choke out, holding back his sobs.

"You named your kid after me… what's up with that?" General Hearth asked with a laugh.

There wasn't anything for it after that, Coal was already embracing Hearth as tightly as he could; sobbing into his shoulder. Lady Catherin was first to reach Commander Sleet, wondering what this was all about, as he explained to her who their new guest was Jewel already shrieked in fright. Tinder shouted words that should never be said in mixed company as he wasted no time joining Coal in embracing his elder brother. Jewel nearly collapsed from her sudden shock of seeing him, needing Drake to keep her up right before she started to sob uncontrollably into her own hooves.

"I… never should have… left you… there…" Coal said hoarsely, choking back his sobs.

"I stayed behind, to protect my family, as you left to protect yours." General Hearth said quietly.


	10. Chapter 10: Smolder's Inversion

Walking around in my own mind wasn't something I was used to. Granted I've had several visions that took place within my mind, I never really got the chance to explore it. Whatever fleeting thought I seemed to have terraformed the blackness around Mira and myself, bringing back vivid memories and familiar faces, but none of which I seemed to be able to interact with. It was like reliving my past, but merely as an observer to the events that took fold. It was close to dreaming, yet I controlled everything and nothing at the same time.

"It's very empty in here." Mira remarked, shaking her head at the black emptiness before us.

"It would help if I knew what I was looking for." I remarked, with a frown.

"This is your mind, you stupid flame pony!" Mira shouted at me, already frustrated with me. "You're supposed to be figuring this out, not me!"

Mira was viciously poking me in the forehead, trying to get her point across.

"I'm not even sure where to start!" I hollered back, brushing her finger away from my face.

Mira grumbled a bit, floating a ways away from me. Crossing her arms and thinking to herself. As Mira pondered, I noticed the markings on her arms start to diminish in its glow. I could see her blue star dust like hair beginning to fade. Azimuth was already leeching Mira's power, and I could only assume that mine was also being drained, but it was not yet noticeable to me.

"Okay, okay, okay…" Mira said repeatedly, miming little shoves with her hands as she turned back to face me.

"Okay?" I responded, unsure of what she had come up with.

"Try remembering the day you got your wings." Mira instructed me.

"Alright." I said, thinking back on it.

No sooner had I thought of that particular day, the blackness that surrounded us was whisked away by the sudden emergence of color and space that came rushing in. Castle Char sprang up from the ground, the Ashen Fields rolled out like one giant carpet, the sky pouring itself in, and several familiar faces started to appear out of thin air.

"Hey! That's me!" I stated in amazement.

I felt Mira slap the back of my head as she floated by. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, the Wonderbolts, Wingston and myself were standing amongst each other; frozen within this frame of memory. Mira examined each battle worn pony to some degree, sneering at Princess Luna more than any other pony, but she eventually came to the memory of myself and looked me over carefully.

"Go back." Mira instructed me.

"What?" I asked feeling confused.

"Think back, to some point before this, before you got your wings." Mira clarified.

Exhaling a flustered breath, I tried to remember what had happened before, how that morning had started off. The world around us started to speed away, nothing but blurs passing around us, colors streaking and storming about. I thought of how we came up with a plan to trick my father, using Discord disguised as the Elements of Harmony, but that train of thought ended up leading me to remember my confrontation with my brothers. The dark walls of Castle Char rose up around us, the stone floor patterning itself underhoof, the throne room's high ceilings stretched itself high as three immense lights filled the room. The memory of myself was standing before Wick and Pyre, our flames blazing at one another, squaring off to fight.

There was a sudden weight that seemed to fall upon my heart. The flames being cast by Wick and Pyre's manes seemed to blur their faces, making it difficult for me to see, or remember, what they looked like. I strode over to them, standing in front of these blurred memories, trying to reach out and touch Pyre's face, but watching my hoof pass through it.

"Who's that?" Mira asked sounding confused.

I turned to see what she was referring to saw that she was pointing to the memory of myself.

"That's me." I replied.

"That's you?" Mira asked, looking very surprised.

"Yeah, that's me, who did you think it was?" I asked, feeling somewhat offended by her look of disgust.

"Why are you red?" Mira asked looking befuddled.

"Red?" I asked.

It suddenly dawned on me that not only did I acquire wings later that day, but the colors of my flames had also changed as well. Flames on a Flame Pony is the substitute for hair on a normal pony, to us, we don't pay much mind to our flames as it has a life of its own, but to other's it must be more disconcerting.

"I forgot that I used to have red flames." I said to her, noticing how much more intimidating it made me look compared to the soft yellow flames I had now.

"You never thought to question why you changed color?" Mira asked in disbelief.

"There were more strenuous things taking place at the time." I remarked, feeling like I was being ridiculed.

"Okay, okay, okay…" Mira mumbled, massaging her arms. "You're a little red stupid flame pony that gets turned into a statue, and then reemerges as a little yellow annoying and stupid flame pony with wings."

"Hey!" I barked, feeling my mane flare.

It was at this moment that I noticed my mane had flared very little, that I felt rather tired having done so little, and Mira seemed to feel it too. I looked at my own hoofs too see that my flames had decreased in their intensity, and that soon I would be without flames completely.

"Judging by the color… of the Queen's flames… you probably…" Mira said through shallow breaths, squeezing her arms tightly and bearing down her teeth in pain.

"Mira?" I asked with concern, moving over to her.

"I'm fine! Just…" Mira doubled over in pain, dropping out of the air.

I caught her easily, with my wings, lowering her gently to the ground as she wheezed trying to catch her breath. The markings on her arms were almost completely darkened; her starlight hair was turning an ashy grey, pulsing with each breath.

"We need to get out of here." I said quickly looking around helplessly.

"I just… need… some… light…" Mira wheezed to me.

With her hand shaking, she lifted it to me, as if beckoning for me to bring my face to her. I lowered my head, letting her hand touch my face; I suddenly felt a surge of my strength leave me as I nearly lost my footing. The markings on Mira's arms lit up once more, the blue starlight of her hair flourished once more as she sat up in a start. I, myself, felt like I was training under Rainbow Dash again, out of breath and exhausted.

"Your transformation was much more severe than I had first thought." Mira remarked, continuing her earlier train of thought. "It was so much an upgrade, but more so a limitation you set upon yourself."

Mira looked quite enthralled by her deduction, floating up into the air once more as I struggled to stand up straight. I was still feeling rather worn out; Mira must have taken quite a bit of my power, as I was now feeling my strength fail me bit by bit.

"What… did you… do…" I mumbled, trying to stand up.

Turning back around, Mira's face flashed an expression of terror as she quickly flew to help me. Taking hold of my arm she lifted me back onto my hooves, petting me gently atop my head, slapping me softly against the sides of my face to keep me from falling unconscious.

"My… my kind used to feed off of light…" Mira muttered, sounding guilty. "There was so much in abundance, so many stars. So many that we just naturally absorbed it through our skin. That was until the Storm came, and devoured everything that shown."

Able to catch my breath, I could feel my body beginning to surge with heat in its attempt to keep my flames burning strong; it was equivalent to adrenaline in any other pony, but ours just made our flames burn hotter. I wasn't feeling too much better, but it was enough to keep my standing under my own power.

"I must have taken more than I thought…" Mira mumbled, sounding very regretful.

"Don't… don't worry about it." I mumbled with a tired smile.

Mira looked at me with such sorrowful eyes, a look I've seen before from Princess Celestia, Tea, and even Princess Sapphire, it was the look of worry about what was to happen to me.

"Smolder…" Mira whispered to me taking me face in her hands. "This is going to be difficult for you, what you've done to yourself is… is not easily fixed."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused by her words.

"Your transformation wasn't complete. You should have come out with wings and your horn, but didn't." Mira started to explain.

"Why not?" I asked curiously.

"Because you didn't _want_ it to." Mira emphasized to me.

"What?" I asked feeling lost at this point.

The world around us started to stretch, my memory starting to fade, I could feel my body starting to burn hotter, flames started flaring up from the ground beneath us. Mira and I looked about, I didn't seem to be in control of this, my memory was beginning to dissolve into the blackness, being replaced my fields of black sand and fire. Mira looked very panicked at this point, once more grabbing my face and staring straight into me eyes.

"I should have seen this from the start! You have to accept it, Smolder! You have to come to terms with it! You have to realize that what you've told yourself is a lie!" Mira shouted at me quickly.

"What lie?" I asked, noticing the endless fields of fire raging more violently around us.

"That you're just like your father!" Mira shouted, shaking my head trying to drive her point home.

Those words were like knives, stabbing my heart, causing my rage to fester, and my anger to rise. I jerked my head from her hands, stepping back, feeling my face turn up into a scowl.

"I'm nothing like him!" I shouted angrily.

The black sand beneath us spewed columns of fire into the darkness above, the flames raging about, roaring into an inferno as Mira looked about in terror. The flames proceeded to concentrate themselves into a single spot, forming into an intense sphere of fire, burning brilliantly like the sun before it started to mold itself. Mira floated away from it, her hands raised; ready to defend herself as I watched the raging ball of fire shape itself into a fiery colt.

"Father?" I whispered staring at it.

A part of me felt that this was my father, but this was all too familiar. I started to realize that this wasn't the memory of my father. I had seen this fiery colt before as it was my own soul staring back me, my own fire confronting me once more as it did the morning after the Orc had attacked Wingston and the others.

"You will die protecting this world." The fiery colt's voice echoed.

Mira hissed angrily at the fiery colt. Slamming her hands together, Mira's shadow hands sprung from the ground beneath the fiery colt, wrapping themselves tightly around it; the same attack she had used on me from before. Without warning the fiery colt had appeared before us, mere inches away, Mira's shadow hands seeming to have no effect on it. With a swipe of its wing, the fiery colt struck Mira away, as she slammed against the ground hard with a shriek.

"Mira!" I shouted in fear.

The fiery colt opened its mouth, blasting me with a sudden surge of light, knocking me across the black sea of sand and fire before landing hard on my back. I felt the wind get knocked out of me; rolling over onto my side I wheezed trying to catch my breath.

"You should not have come here." The fiery colt said aloud.

I looked up to see the fiery colt's attention directed at Mira, who was already floating in the air once more, an angry scowl on her face and her hands clenched into fists. Mira hissed at the fiery colt once more, crossing her arms into an 'x' across her chest, Mira conjured two large shadow like spikes above the fiery colt. Swiping her hands apart, the spikes struck the fiery colt from both sides, staking it to the ground.

"You are little more than a leech." The fiery colt remarked.

The fiery colt's wings fanned, causing the spikes to wither away instantly. Mira staggered back, looking frightened as the fiery colt's flames started to surge. Mira shrieked in agony as streams of energy seemed to be pulled from her body and reabsorbed back into the fiery colt.

"Stop it!" I shouted in terror, watching Mira's blue starlight hair turn ash grey.

Mira's body fell from the air, slumping to the ground, unmoving. I scrambled to my hooves to reach her but felt another blast of energy strike me and send me sliding even further away from her.

"Were you so desperate for power that you would risk death to achieve it?" The fiery colt's voice echoed around me.

"This wasn't exactly my idea." I joked, finding it rather difficult to stand.

"Yet you sought it, you sought me." The fiery colt replied.

"I suppose I did." I mumbled, feeling my legs shake as I tried to stand.

"You've doomed us to die here." The fiery colt said to me.

"Didn't really have a choice." I remarked.

"There is always a choice. You have elected to choose the path that has led you to this moment." The fiery colt's voice echoed again.

"I made a promise to Mira." I replied, feeling my knees start to give out.

"You've made similar promises in the past, each nearly ending your life. Each time grasping for more power to overcome your enemies, each time inching ever closer to what you were always meant to become." The fiery colt's voice replied.

"What would that be?" I asked, feeling a bit annoyed by this lecture.

"Your life echoes that of another, the promises of good, the desire for power, and his inevitable fall into madness." The fiery colt's voice answered.

"I am nothing like my father." I remarked with a sneer.

The fiery colt fanned out its wings, a sudden burst of power exploded from it, throwing me back a few feet as I crumpled to the floor. I was already feeling exhausted, whatever energy I was saving had been used to pick myself up off the ground. The fiery colt approached me once more.

"It is always the same lie." The fiery colt remarked.

"It is not a lie!" I shouted angrily.

The fiery colt's wing struck me hard across the body. I slid a couple more feet away before trying to stand once more. The fiery colt approaching me again.

"You have always feared your father, for one reason or another, but once he was gone your fear remained. Working its way into your heart, forcing you to question who you are and what you are destined to become." The fiery colt stated.

"I… am _not_ … a mad pony." I breathed hard, trying hard to pick myself up off the ground.

"Every pony fears you, none dare say it, your anger gives you power, just like it did your father. It was made painfully clear to every pony when you faced the Great Dragon Char; you are very much the Mad King's son." The fiery colt stated.

"I am _not_ a mad pony." I repeated through clenched teeth.

"Your hate is swelling in you even now, and yet you lie to yourself. You deny that you are like your father, that you are somehow different, but the truth is you are the same. That is why you cannot summon me." The fiery colt stated.

I looked up from the ground, seeing the outline of a horn upon the fiery colt, realizing that this was not only soul speaking with me, but my dormant magic as well. Forcing my leg underneath myself, I forced myself up, staggering a bit across the black sand, trying to steady myself. I stood before the fiery colt, feeling my rage boil within me, but my flames no more than simmer upon my mane.

"I am nothing…" I began angrily. "…like my father!"

The fiery colt roared in anger, charging me in its rage, striking me across the face with its hoof. It pummeled me with its hooves, knocking me back up onto me hooves with its wings to beat me some more before blasting me with a bolt of light that sent my sprawling across the sea of black sand again.

"Why?" The fiery colt shouted. "Why do you persist?"

Feeling my back legs go numb, I did my best to lift myself with my forelegs, turning to the fiery colt with a faint smile. The fiery colt flared its wings at me, roaring in its frustration.

"I'm just a… stupid flame pony." I whispered.

These words sent the fiery colt into a frenzy, the black sea of sand exploded with fire once more as it roared in anger. The fire emerging from the black sand was absorbed by the fiery colt, increasing its size to that equivalent to the Great Dragon Char. Its roar shook the world, blowing a storm of sand past me as I shielded myself from it.

" **ALL OF YOUR ANGER STEMS FROM YOUR FATHER! JUST ACCPET THAT YOU ARE THE SAME!** " The fiery colt titan demanded.

"We're not the same." I whispered, feeling my rage swell once more.

" **WHY?** " The fiery colt titan cried raising its hoof and bringing it down upon me.

"Because he stole them from me!" I shouted; my voice filled with pain.

The hoof of the fiery colt titan was knocked to the wayside, striking the black sand with massive force. Reeling back the fiery colt titan watched as I stood up. My own fire raging about me with each passing moment my flames grew stronger.

"The ones that I wanted to protect! The ones that I loved! He took them from me!" I screamed in a blind rage.

The flames from the fiery colt started to leech out from its form, snaking its way to mine, fueling my flames, giving me strength as the fiery colt began to shrink in its size.

"Every day I've woken up hating him! Wishing that I had killed him before he was able to take my brothers away!" I screamed, my flames striking the ground around me causing the sand to explode.

The fiery colt's titanic size was decreasing rapidly, it was stepping back, trying to keep its distance from me, but it was growing weaker by the second as my rage increased.

"Every day I wonder why I stopped! Why I didn't go through with it!" I roared, the force of my power sending a shockwave across the black sea of sand. "Because I'm not a King, or a soldier, or even a hero!"

The fiery colt was back to its normal size, raising its wings to defend itself from my inevitable attack.

"I'm just a stupid flame pony who's learned to forgive!" I shouted, stopping in front of the fiery colt.

The fiery colt froze for a moment, unsure of what I had said. The intensity of my flames started to diminish, my anger starting waver, as the fiery colt lowered its wings slowly; staring at me with its vacant eyes. My face was no longer full of anger, it was more solemn now, but I was smiling weakly.

"You're right, I am a mad pony. Why would I forgive my father after everything he's done?" I whispered, my voice trembling from my sadness. "Because I have that choice."

"I get angry… that's all. I'm no different than any other pony." I said slowly. "It's no different from being happy either. They're just feelings we are meant to feel."

The fiery colt remained silent, listening to me.

"But I've learned that… I can forgive the things that make me angry. That feeling angry is alright, as long as you take the time to forgive because that opens up room to being happy again." I continued, speaking quietly.

I held out my hoof to the fiery colt, a small smile on my face.

"I've been angry for quite a while now, far longer than I should have been, but I'm ready." I said, feeling strength in my own words. "I'm ready to happy again… I want to be happy."

The fiery colt flourished in its flames, statuesque in its silence, its vacant eyes staring into mine. It raised its hoof, closing its eyes as it took my hoof, nodding silently in its understanding. Its fire spreading across my arm, the fiery colt losing its shape as I felt it pour over me; consuming me within its flames. I felt renewed, like the sun bathing me in its light. I could see that my flames had changed once more, this time it was a mix of both red and yellow; the flames of parents.

The remnants of the fiery colt faded into the blackness, I took a moment to watch the last of the embers disappear. The embers drifted away, turning my head to follow I saw Mira's colorless body lying against the black sand. Hurrying to reach her I could see that she was unconscious but still clinging to what little light she had left. Coming up alongside of her I lowered my head to nudge her but found that I poked her instead. Lifting my hoof to my forehead I found myself with a horn, it was smooth, hard like bone, a pointed tip, and I was crossing my eyes trying to see it.

"…glow…" Mira whispered weakly.

Realizing that we were still inside the hands of Azimuth, I quickly scooped up Mira with my wings and placed her upon my back. Not sure of what to do next, I tried to think back on how I had tried to focus my magic earlier.

" _I need to get us out of here."_ I thought to myself.

I focused on the black sand that we had first touched down on in the chasm. I tried to imagine myself, as well as Mira, being there once more, free from this prison. These thoughts of mine seemed to slip from my mind, a sudden flash of light startled me, I stepped back a few steps only to realize that I had not run into anything. I looked around, my eyes wide open, my flames softly illuminating the clenched hands of Azimuth several feet away. We were free. The hands of Azimuth fell to the ground before her with a crash, her head slumping forwards, no longer draining us of our light.

"Mira! Mira stay with me!" I shouted, cradling her with my wing.

Taking her hand with my hoof I placed it on my face, only to feel nothing.

"No, no, no, no, no…" I whispered to myself in fear. "Come on, Mira! You can't die, not here; you haven't slapped me for taking so long to finally get my horn!"

Mira was unmoving. I could feel my heart plummeting at the idea that I was too late to save her. I a swell of magic reach my horn. I could sense my magic responding to my desire to help her. I lowered my head, pressing my horn against her forehead, unsure of what to say or think, but closing my eyes wishing that she would wake up.

"I don't want to lose you too." I whispered.

I felt a small tap on the side of my face. My eyes shot open, seeing Mira's hand fall weakly to her side, the blue starlight of Mira's hair trickle through the feathers of my wings and the soft glow of the markings on her arm lightly pulsing, Mira looking up at me with a scowl of all things and hissing softly at me.

"What… took… you…" Mira whispered weakly.

Chocking a laugh, I could feel myself smile. Mira's dim yellow eyes started to flutter closer, no doubt exhausted from the experience. I got to my hooves deciding it was best to get Mira far away from this place as possible.

"Thanks…" Mira whispered to me. "… stupid…"

I looked down to see that Mira's eyes were closed, resting, as I felt a great sense of relief wash over me at these words.


	11. Chapter 11: Lectures and Conjectures

Within the ruins of the Forgotten City, Queen Sunbeam stood before her once special some pony, The Mad King Scorch. As determined as she was to rescue him from his misery and suffering, Glow did not dare approach him in fear of what his malice would achieve. Scorch was very much still a colt by any who would look upon him, his hide had not yet suffered missing legions exposing the unchecked power of his immense flames. His eyes burned red, and yet Glow could still see the soft, nervous face of the young colt that tried so hard to get her attention all those years ago; at least that is what she wanted to see.

" _Scorch! Please, I beg you, come back to me!"_ Glow's voiced echoed pleadingly.

" _Flame Ponies do not plead!"_ The Mad King cried spitting a blast of fire towards her.

Queen Sunbeam jolted awake, the fiery image of Scorch still fresh in her mind as her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest. It wasn't so much a nightmare but a vivid memory of a small portion of what had transpired between her and Scorch.

"Scorch…" Glow whispered sadly, unable to believe how bad things had gotten.

Having spent several days under Mira's care, Glow had recovered much of her old strength, having not but slight twinges of pain from time to time but nothing that wouldn't fade in the coming days. Noticing that Mira slept soundly against her arm, Glow smiled warmly at the small creature that had shown her such kindness and opened her home to her. Carefully moving her arm out from beneath Mira, Glow got to her hooves, carefully flourishing her wings to give them a stretch before deciding to do what she should have done from the moment she got here.

Mira was stirred from her sleep by the noises of stone jars being knocked against one another. Having spent the night sleeping against the far cave wall that sloped in a semi-comfortable, Mira rubbed her eyes with a yawn. Queen Sunbeam, or as Mira had come to know her, Glow, was magically lifting jar after stone jar and peering inside each and every one. Making several faces of pure disgust and fright, Glow continued to rummage through the jars as if to appease her own sense of curiosity.

"Hey!" Mira shouted in surprise.

"You're awake, how'd you sleep?" Glow asked curiously, still peeking inside the jars.

"Stop touching my stuff!" Mira hissed in frustration.

Quickly floating over to her jars, Mira tried to gather the all up and get them away from Glow. Flying to the other side of the cave, Mira carried arms full of jars, setting them up against the wall as if to put distance between Glow and her stuff. Unwilling to stop her snooping, Glow continued to peer into the remaining stone jars to see what there was to see, before Mira came zooming back over to gather the rest from her.

"Leave them alone!" Mira whined, snatching a stone jar from Glow's magical grasp before floating off in a huff.

"Do you eat all of that?" Glow asked, looking quite repulsed by what she had seen.

"It's none of your business!" Mira hissed, placing her jars back into neat rows.

"Well I've been eating whatever you've been giving me over this last week and I swear that something was still moving in my… I don't even know what to call, soup?" Glow argued, looking ill from just thinking about it.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Mira pointed out. "So stop complaining already; it's all I've got."

Having her stone jars exactly the way she wanted them, Mira floated towards Glow to inspect her. It was obvious that Glow had recovered a great deal since Mira had found her, but Mira took no chances as poked her several times.

"Does this hurt?" Mira asked, poking Glow on the side of the head.

"It's going to if you don't stop." Glow replied, sounding annoyed.

"I've never treated a Flame Pony before. I'm not sure how effective Hoopoe's healing abilities are on your kind." Mira explained, circling around her.

"Is that the giant bird, or the serpent?" Glow asked curiously.

"Apep is the serpent… it doesn't like the light all that much." Mira told her. "So stay away from it."

"I'm not worried about the snake." Glow said, turning her heads towards Mira. "I have to find Scorch before he's lost forever."

"Believe me," Mira began, folding her arms. "Everything here is already lost."

"I just can't abandon him, Mira, I have to save him." Glow insisted.

"You're lucky I was the creature that found you laying out there, any other thing in this place would have had you for a quick snack." Mira scolded her, trying to put things in perspective.

"The whole reason I'm here is to save him! I don't care what sort of creatures might be out there! He needs me now more than ever!" Glow shouted, trying to get her on board.

"Then what? He'll beat you again and maybe this time I won't be able to save you!" Mira shouted, watching Glow flinch at these words. "He's a monster now, just like everything else here! Whatever he was before is lost and no amount of love or silly trying is going to change that!"

Hanging her head at these words, Glow seemed to reminisce on her last encounter with Scorch. It was true that Scorch had attacked her, but it wasn't the Scorch she remembered; not the colt she fell in love with. Feeling like she had won the argument, Mira started to float away towards her jars to start making something for them to eat.

"You're not a one of the monsters though, Mira." Glow mumbled. "A monster wouldn't have risked her life to save me."

Mira stopped short. Glow watched as Mira seemed let these words sink in.

"I'm a different kind of monster." Mira muttered, sounding very somber.

"What?" Glow asked, not quite catching it.

"Look, I'm not helping you and that's final!" Mira shouted, sounding frustrated with their conversation.

Mira started to float off again as Glow tried one last time to reach her.

"Wouldn't you try to save those you cared about? No matter the cost? There has to be some pony or something you would do anything for." Glow posed the question to her.

It was enough to get Mira to turn around completely. Glow had found that Mira's rough exterior hid a very caring and gentle nature inside of her that seemed accessible at times. The truth of the matter was that Glow was asking Mira to put herself in harm's way so that they could perchance find Scorch, who just so happened to the be the pony that left her for dead, and carried the title of Mad King. Even so, Mira knew all too well the feeling of wanting to rescue someone special to them.

"I know I'm asking a lot from you, even after saving my life, but I'm not going to make it very far without your help." Glow pleaded with her. "Scorch is still in there somewhere, and I know I can save him."

Pulling on her fingers, Mira weighed her options for a few moments, thinking of what would happen if Null found them, or even the light from Glow's mane that would attract all manners of creatures to them in the Forgotten City. Turning away for a moment to nervously chew on her finger, Mira came to a conclusion.

"If… I help you with this," Mira began, turning slowly to her. "I… I'll need you to do something for me in return."

Glow was gone. As if she had vanished all together. Looking around in surprise, Mira floated forward to where Glow once stood trying to figure out where she had gone. Turning around once more, the entirety of her cave was gone, nothing more than darkness surrounding her.

"Glow?" Mira called out, sounding nervous.

The sounds of crackling started to increase in volume behind her. Fear overcame Mira at the sound of this, like paper being torn slowly she could feel the emptiness come closer. Shaking with fear, Mira slowly started to turn her head around, catching just a brief glimpse of Null's husk like features. The Storm exploded from Null's body, roaring and screaming in its power. Mira shrieked in terror as she was thrown to the ground by, watching the Storm swirl around Null. Looming over her, Null reached down for her, bits of his skin flaking away from his husk like body, the storm continuing to roar in its violent fury.

 _ **Bring me the Flame Pony!**_

Mira awoke with a start. Short of breath, Mira clutched her chest trying to steady her breathing as she looked about. The familiar surroundings of her cave came as a relief to Mira, having feared the worst of expiring down in the depths of Azimuth's Tomb. With these thoughts, Mira started to look about for her Flame Pony but was met with the subtle darkness of her cave. Levitating off the ground, Mira felt something slip from her person. One of Hoopoe's feathers had been draped over her, most likely the Flame Pony's doing, seeing as the feather itself was useless on its own, but Smolder would not have known that. Retrieving the feather from the ground, she looked it over, its smooth texture gently gliding over her fingertips as she brushed her hand along its side.

" _Stupid Flame Pony…"_ Mira thought to herself.

Still, Mira held the feather in her hands, smiling to herself over the thought of Smolder trying to take care of her; not noticing the light of Smolder's flames approaching from the tunnel.

"Hey! You're awake!" I exclaimed in surprise.

Mira jolted at the sudden sound of his voice, embarrassed by her own thoughts, and quickly buried them back down.

"Just where have you been?" Mira asked in a demanding voice; floating over to me looking very annoyed.

"I was just- hey! Hey!" I exclaimed, protecting my face from Mira's vicious scratches.

"Don't go wandering off by yourself!" Mira scolded me, almost hissing in her frustration. "Do you want to explain what you were planning on doing with this?"

I could see Mira holding up the feather I had draped over her.

"I thought it would help." I confessed, feeling that it had down less than nothing. "You told me you had used a feather to heal me and I thought that… you know…"

Mira shook her head in disappointment, floating back over to her collection of stone jars, and placing the feather back on its stone mantle. Taking a deep breath, Mira looked over her shoulder to glance at me who sat feeling rather pathetic.

"So… have you tried any sort of magic, yet?" Mira asked curiously.

"Well… I tried… teleporting… I guess." I mumbled, not sure if that counted as trying or dumb luck.

"That's it?" Mira asked, almost sounding surprised.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"I thought you would have been trying to cast a hundred different spells while I was recovering." Mira replied.

"I'm sort of new to the whole 'magic horn' thing; I thought I'd take it easy." I retorted sensing that Mira was treating me like a little foal.

"Then let's get started." Mira decreed, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

I sat down on the ground waiting for Mira's instruction, knowing that magic was serious business and that if I was going to have any luck controlling it I would need to be paying the utmost attention. Floating towards the most open area of her cave, Mira turned back to me, dark aura emanating from her hands.

"Like I said before, Shadow Magic feeds off of anger and hate. You will need to practice channeling your anger into your magic, learning to control your rage and bend it to your will." Mira restated part of her previous lesson.

Mira pressed her hands together, the dark aura billowing more intensely as she withdrew producing bolts of dark energy from her fingertips that crackled and sparked around her arms. Throwing her hands out to either side of her, the bolts of dark energy struck the sides of the cave with great force, cleaving bits of rock from the slated walls.

"Shadow Attacks are the basic weapons we use for combat. The amount of energy put into the Shadow Attack is completely dependent on the user. They range from Shadow Bolts, Darkness Bombs, Shadow Beams, you get the idea." Mira explained, hurrying herself along. "For such magic to work, you must draw on your feelings to produce the necessary catalyst for it to trigger."

"Which means?" I asked, not really understanding.

"Just get angry. Then just point and shoot." Mira said, dumbing it down for me.

"Isn't there like some sort of instructions or books I need to read to learn how to do this?" I asked, not feeling at all confident about this.

"We'll get to the details later. I'm just giving you a crash course so we can get through everything." Mira replied, waving such ideas away from her.

"There's more?" I asked curiously.

"There are many different applications to Shadow Magic, ranging between spells ranging from banishment, shadow manipulation, and even summoning in some cases." Mira explained further.

"Should I be taking notes or something?" I asked starting feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Shut up and listen!" Mira shouted angrily at me; I did as told.

"Shadow Magic can kill you if you don't know what you're doing. Even we Arcana don't dare use some spells in fear that it would destroy us or those around us. Mastering the basics will give you a firm understanding of what sort of power you'll be dealing with." Mira warned me; shaking her finger at me.

I nodded in understanding.

"Teleporting uses up too much of your power, so don't rely on it too much but seeing as you are a Flame Pony you have a considerable advantage in that department due to your basic nature of fire. You have energy to burn which makes it much easier for you to cast more taxing spells but use it too much and you'll burn yourself out without realizing it." Mira instructed me.

I nodded again.

"Much like casting fire, your magic works in a similar way, be it that your horn is the conduit for it. Most spells acquire a decent amount of focus; given time those spells will become second nature to you and so on and there forth. For the meantime, you will learn to channel your magic, learning to control your power, much like you did when learning to control the ferocity of your fire." Mira continued, raising her finger to indicate that this part was important to note.

"So… what do I have to do?" I asked, feeling a bit confused by it.

"You're going to sit there and levitate that rock." Mira informed me, pointing to a hoof sized rock a couple steps away.

"Really?" I asked, not seeing much difficulty in that task.

I looked at the rock, starting picture it floating in my mind and soon feeling my magic starting to surge to my horn. I could already see the rock beginning to move, my magical aura surrounding it as it started to lift into the air.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, idiotic Flame Pony!" Mira shouted right into my ear.

It was so jarring to me that I found myself throwing the rock across the room as it hit the wall with a clunk before landing back on the ground with a thud. I glanced at Mira, looking very sour at her interference but she smiled happily at me; pointing towards the rock for me to try again. Narrowing my eyes at her I looked towards the rock once more, picturing in my mind of the rock rising from the ground.

"You earwig eating, slug guzzling, slime spitting, maggot infested, King of the Dorks Flame Pony!" Mira shouted into my ear once more, as the rock suddenly exploded from my magic into tiny pieces.

"Stop it!" I shouted angrily.

"Not until you can levitate a rock." Mira said in a matter of fact tone.

I could see now that Mira was trying to distract me from accomplishing this simple task and to great effect thus far. I'm sure that in a fight there would be a lot more things to distract me, probably painful things, but I got the idea. I could only hope that she wouldn't resort to slapping me on the back of the head anytime soon.

For the next couple of hours, Mira did everything she could to distract me from levitating a single rock. Whether it was hitting me, slapping the rock out of mid-air, calling me names, creating sudden implosions of magic, Mira was not giving me any handicaps. Fortunately, I was able to lean away from her slaps, drown out her excessive shouting, and even dance the floating rock away from Mira who tried to knock it away; I felt pretty proud of myself to say the least.

"You pot-bellied, pig nosed, bucktooth orphan!" Mira shouted into my ear.

"You've already said that." I replied, no longer paying a mind to it.

"I did?" Mira asked, looking a little surprised at this herself.

She watched as I lifted several more hoof sized rocks into the air, having them spin in circles, orbiting around us like small planets; if only to show off a bit. Mira on the other hoof did not like being upstaged in anyway and sneered at my performance. I felt Mira lean closer to me, her face very close to my ear, I felt myself prepared for the loudest scream I would face today.

"Princess Sapphire…" Mira whispered to me.

I felt my heart speed up, my mane flared, the rocks flying off in all directions from us and embedding themselves in the cave walls. I felt myself flushing as Mira seemed to dance around me in triumphant, raising her arms up and down over her head, singing to herself the whole while.

"That was a cheap trick." I said feeling cheated.

"Why? Is she distracting to you?" Mira asked teasingly, still doing her victory dance.

"Hardly!" I snapped, feeling my mane flare.

" _Oh, my dearest Smolder, tis be a fort night when thou left thee. I count the waning hours til our gentle embrace stills thy beating heart._ " Mira mocked in an overly dramatic tone of voice.

Mira giggled gleefully to herself. For the first time, in a long time I had seen Mira smile genuinely, and it even seemed to make me smile even though I felt quite annoyed by her teasing. I knew so little about her or this place, but only that she carried a great deal of pain with her. To see her laugh seemed to me as a step in the right direction, to a place of healing that she so desperately seemed to need.

"Sapphire isn't such a sappy pony, unlike you who seems to get emotional every ten minutes." I replied, trying my own hoof at some teasing.

"I don't get emotional!" Mira snapped at me, her hands balled into fists.

" _Oh Smolder, please help us, I can't fly on my own, I need a big strong colt to come and carry me around because I'm too lazy to do it myself._ " I mimicked her voice in a high pitched tone of voice.

"Are you calling me an invalid?" Mira asked in a venomous tone.

"Heavy is the more appropriate word." I muttered, not making eye contact.

I felt Mira bite the side of my shoulder, clawing at me neck, as if she was trying to maim me. I yelped in pain, desperately trying to shake her off as she clung to me like a leech.

* * *

The mid-morning sun bathed Canterlot with its warmth. Platoons of Royal Guard ponies marched along the ramparts, semi-annual drills were being run for a number of instances that could take place. For instances such as Flash Floods, Earthquakes, Changelings, Fires, a bored Discord, and a great many other sudden emergencies that could happen around Canterlot, but none seemed to prepare Cosmic for the most earth shattering revelation that had ever been placed before him.

"Nightshade is getting married." Cosmic stated, his hooves pressed to together; a serious look upon his face.

Private First Class Cosmic sat at a circular table in the Royal Guard cafeteria with Specialist Peanut, and Lord Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire. There were dozens more Royal Guards occupying other tables within the cafeteria, having an early lunch or a late breakfast, conversing among themselves about their own issues. Peanut and Shining Armor had opted for an early lunch, having chosen the Special of the Day, a Cesar Salad with apple slices, and apple juice. Cosmic, who had forgotten his parcel of bits at home, opted to mooch off the two of them.

"We know, he's already told us." Peanut mentioned, eating an apple slice.

"Well I didn't think he'd actually go through with it!" Cosmic exclaimed in disbelief.

"It was pretty surprising, to say the least." Shining Armor added, sipping on his juice.

"I was sure that he was going to back out at the last minute or start stammering again." Peanut confessed.

"That's what I thought!" Cosmic shouted. "That's why I've gathered the Brain Trust, impart, to discuss the obvious."

"Brain Trust?" Shining Armor asked curiously.

"It's what Cosmic has been calling the four of us. You, me, him, and Nightshade." Peanut explained.

"Sounds cool." Shining Armor said taking a bite of his salad.

"Focus guys!" Cosmic declared, clapping his hooves together.

"On what?" Peanut asked curiously.

"Nightshade is getting married, right? Don't you know what that means?" Cosmic asked, expecting them to know.

"He's going to be able to claim more on his taxes?" Shining Armor asked.

"No!" Cosmic shouted in disbelief.

"Then what?" Peanut asked, eating another apple slice.

"He's going to ask me to be his Best Colt!" Cosmic stated, throwing his hooves up in the air.

There was a momentary pause that followed Cosmic's declaration, mostly due to Peanut and Shining Armor chewing but it was rather awkward for all the other Royal Guard Ponies in the cafeteria.

"You just assume that he's going to pick you to be his Best Colt?" Peanut asked, after swallowing.

"Why wouldn't he pick me?" Cosmic asked flatly.

"It's just that you just seem pretty sure that he's going to ask you." Shining Armor pointed out.

"He has to pick me!" Cosmic exclaimed decisively.

"He's got other ponies to choose from too, you know. Nightshade knows plenty of other ponies." Peanut mentioned.

"Like who?" Cosmic asked sarcastically.

"Well, Peanut and I are suitable choices, for starters." Shining Armor said, looking between him and Peanut.

"Not to mention Smolder." Peanut added.

"He's lost in some other dimension, he doesn't count!" Cosmic snapped back. "Besides you two ponies met Nightshade long after I did."

"Why are you getting so worked up over this anyways?" Shining Armor asked curiously.

"Well I just… uh… feel… a little entitled to the position is all." Cosmic said slowly, feeling a bit timid.

"Why's that?" Peanut asked.

"Nightshade and I have guarded that same Throne Room door for nearly four years together. That has to mean something? Right?" Cosmic asked, looking for some feedback.

"You're worried that he won't pick you because you two have nothing in common other than guarding a door?" Shinning Armor asked, chuckling at the idea.

"Well that's easy for you to say, Lord of the Crystal Empire, you seem like a pretty good choice for Best Colt with credentials like that." Cosmic hissed, not liking his odds.

"He just announced their engagement yesterday, Cosmic; it will be a while before they set a date for the wedding." Peanut remarked, trying to ease Cosmic's nerves.

"That's the sort of attitude a pony with no chance of making Best Colt would have." Cosmic replied, folding his arms.

There was a sudden swell of applause that came over the cafeteria drawing their attention away from their conversation. Near the entrance of the cafeteria there was a small crowd of Royal Guard Ponies congratulating and shaking Nightshade's hoof over his recent engagement. Needless to say, Nightshade was very embarrassed by this gesture but did his best to smile and thank every pony. Cosmic was quick to shush Peanut and Shining Armor up over their discussion, motioning towards Nightshade over his shoulder. Peanut raised his arm over his head to flag down Nightshade who was still being approached by several more Royal Guard ponies wanting to express their congratulations.

"Keep the Best Pony talk under you saddles." Cosmic whispered to the Peanut and Shining Armor.

"Hey guys." Nightshade said with a noticeable amount of joy in his voice.

It was obvious to every pony that Nightshade could not be happier with how things were going for him.

"Some pony is looking pretty happy with himself today." Shining Armor teased, watching Nightshade nervously rub the back of his mane.

"Is-is-is it that easy to tell?" Nightshade asked nervously.

"I still can't believe you went through with it." Cosmic mentioned, as Nightshade pulled up a chair. "Asking Belle to marry you and all."

"I said I was going to do it." Nightshade replied.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't believe it!" Cosmic exclaimed, still dumbfounded by this.

"It was pretty shocking." Peanut added, sipping his juice.

"It was one of the promises we made during the battle with the Dragon. I thought we meant it." Nightshade pointed out. "Didn't you guys do what you promised to do?"

"Well… I took some time off." Cosmic mumbled thinking back on it.

"I thought you were going to ask out Ms. Fleece?" Nightshade asked, looking confused.

"I-I-I-I only said that as a joke! Just like Peanut did!" Cosmic insisted, flushing slightly.

"I wasn't joking. Ms. Flare and I are having dinner next week." Peanut remarked, looking none too embarrassed.

"What?" Cosmic asked aloud, looking shocked.

"Didn't we get promised Knighted by Shining Armor?" Nightshade asked, thinking back on it.

"That's right!" Cosmic shouted, suddenly realizing his lack of a Knighthood.

"What's the status on that promised Knighthood, Lord Armor?" Peanut asked leaning closer to him.

Shining Armor was now in the hot seat, having made the promise will all good intentions, but failing to realize that none of these ponies worked under the Crystal Empire; meaning that he could not Knight any pony here. Feeling the eyes of his three friends staring straight into his soul, Shining Armor decided to pull out his ace in the hole to divert the conversation.

"Nightshade, h-h-h-have you picked a Best Pony yet?" Shining Armor asked nervously, trying to seem interested.

It was now Cosmic's turn to sit in the hot seat, as Nightshade looked quite surprised by this question.

"It's a little early to be talking about things like that." Nightshade replied. "We haven't even picked a day to get married yet."

"Do you have any pony in mind?" Peanut asked, watching Cosmic writhe in his seat.

"I did have a pony in mind but I wasn't going to ask him until later." Nightshade said, as Cosmic seemed to be slowly dying next to him.

"Could the pony you want to ask to be your Best Pony happen to be Smolder?" Shining Armor asked, thinking about the later portion of his response.

"Actually, it was going ask Cosmic-" Nightshade was cut short by Cosmic slamming his hooves on the table.

" **How could you not pick-** wait what did you say?" Cosmic began to bellow before stopping short.

"I… I said I was going to ask you." Nightshade repeated, looking strangely at Cosmic. "Later today, when we're on duty."

"You want me… to be Best Pony?" Cosmic asked again, seeming a little stunned.

"Of course." Nightshade replied. "You're my best friend. Why wouldn't I?"

"Boom! In your face Peanut! Woo!" Cosmic shouted, leaning over the table and pointing his hoof right up to his face.

Cosmic proceeded to leap from his chair towards the nearest table of Royal Soldier Ponies to spread the news of him being appointed Best Pony, already talking about plans for the stag party that was to come. Nightshade watched with great confusion as Peanut rolled his eyes and Shining Armor laughed to himself. Turning back to the other two ponies, Nightshade looked at them expectantly, wondering what was going on.

"Cosmic was worried you weren't going to pick him as your Best Pony." Peanut informed him.

"Really worried." Shining Armor emphasized.

"Well, it's not like you two wouldn't be good choices, but Cosmic has always been beside me in everything we've done. I thought it would only be right that he'd be at my side for this important part of my life." Nightshade explained thoughtfully.

"I think Cosmic feels the same way." Shining Armor agreed.

Cosmic was now standing atop one of the table in the cafeteria, announcing aloud to every pony in the room that he was Best Pony and that he could be reached between the hours of eight in the morning to nine in the evening for questions concerning the eventual stag party for Nightshade.

"I think he just likes the idea of himself being called _Best_ Pony." Peanut mumbled.


	12. Chapter 12: Diamonds in the Rough

Florence Gale, Christie Chapel, and Tea Herbal sat quietly on the floor of Tea's room while Princess Sapphire slept upon Tea's bed; recovering from her overuse of magic. The three mares were deep in hushed conversation about everything that had transpired up until this point. Everything from not believing Tea's wild stories of Canterlot and Smolder to whom they were going to ask for notes on today's lecture; seeing as they skipped school all together.

"Maybe we can ask Dorian for his notes? He seems like a decent enough colt." Florence suggested in a whisper.

"Dorian cares more about his mane then taking notes, I'm sure we'd get notes on what sort of conditioner he uses other than anything useful." Tea retorted.

"Have you seen Dorian's mane? It's magnificent! We'd be lucky to know where he gets his shampoo." Chapel countered, looking rather curious.

"You should look into changing your brand of shampoo, Tea." Florence said, nodding her head.

"What's wrong with my shampoo?" Tea asked defensively, pulling her mane with her hooves.

"There are other shampoos then 'Strawberry Blast', you know." Chapel chimed in.

"It's all in one! Shampoo, conditioner, and tear free!" Tea said defensively.

"I wonder what Princess Sapphire uses?" Florence asked curiously, glancing over at her on the bed.

"Her mane is just a… a… cloud of smoke or something. Why would she need shampoo?" Tea asked, feeling a bit envious of Sapphire's cloudy mane.

"How come Princess's always smell so like a bushel of roses or field of wild flowers? Why can't I smell like that all the time?" Chapel asked with sigh.

"You've only met one Princess, not all Princesses' smell like that." Tea said, feeling even more jealous.

"Well… what did Princess Celestia smell like?" Florence asked curiously.

"She… uh…" Tea began, thinking back on it. "Smelled like a freshly cut flowers sprinkled over a babbling brook with a hint of lemon."

Tea looked defeated.

"It must be nice being a Princess." Chapel said with a sigh. "You get to live in a castle with servants waiting on you, carriage rides where ever you want, you'd get to meet celebrities and travel all over Equestria."

"You'd even get to meet Prince Charming." Florence said longingly, swooning just at the thought of it.

"I already met a Prince Pony." Tea spoke up, trying to earn some of her street cred back.

"But you're not a Princess, Tea." Florence pointed out.

"So?" Tea said quickly, flushing slightly.

"So Princes marry Princesses, that's how it works." Chapel pointed out.

"They don't _have_ to." Tea said with a frown.

"Okay, let's just say Smolder does want to marry you." Florence began as Tea felt her face flush more. "Are you going to drop out of school?"

"W-W-Well, we'd just have to wait until I was done." Tea stammered; feeling flustered.

"That's about four years of waiting, and after that you'll have to take up a residence at some hospital. Which will be about a year, working at all hours of the day and night. After a few years you'll probably try and enter a practice of some kind or perhaps start your own. Which would be anywhere to three to five years for that to happen; if that." Florence continued, listing things off.

"What's your point?" Tea asked, feeling annoyed.

"You're looking at almost ten solid years of waiting, even if you did get married sooner or later, you'd have responsibilities as Queen that you would have to commit to as well. You'd have to give up being a Doctor Pony at some point." Chapel replied.

"Are you ponies siding against me?" Tea asked, feeling frustrated by their 'big picture' look at her life.

"You worked really hard trying to become a doctor pony, Tea. We're not convinced you'd give it all up so easily." Florence pointed out.

"Princesses are molded to be a Queen one day. It doesn't have to be Princess Sapphire, but it would make more sense for Smolder to marry a Princess Pony that knows how to lead a Kingdom and not recite all the bones in a pony in song." Chapel added.

"I worked hard to memorize those bones _and_ that song!" Tea hissed in her defense.

"You're going to have to make a hard choice about what you want to do with your life. Become a Doctor Pony or become Queen of the Flame Ponies." Chapel said, laying out Tea's options for her.

Tea felt her head start to hang, Chapel and Florence were, if not, her closest friends and they were trying to make her realize the truth that was always in front of her. It was not they were being mean or cruel by saying these things, but that they knew how much being a Doctor Pony meant to her and how difficult it would be to become a Queen with now prior training.

"I mean… I guess I would…" Tea began to mumble.

"Horse… hockey." Princess Sapphire muttered, rousing from her sleep.

Tea, Chapel, and Florence looked towards the bed to see a rather sleepy but rested Sapphire rising out of bed. It was not clear to them when she had stirred from her sleep but she seemed ready to throw her two bits into the conversation.

"Ms. Herbal is more than capable of handling the responsibilities of that of a Queen and a Doctor. Some pony as determined, level headed, and bright as Ms. Herbal would put many of the High Noble mares of the Frozen North to shame if ever compared." Princess Sapphire stated, sliding off the bed and flipping her cloudy mane to one side of her head.

"Yeah, but the amount of time it would take to become a doctor pony would be-" Chapel began but was promptly cut off by Sapphire's hoof being raised at her.

"You assume that Smolder would not want to wait for Ms. Herbal to fulfill her dream of becoming a Doctor Pony, but I assure you that he would support her every step of the way. Ms. Herbal could easily start a school of medicine in the Ashen Fields if she became Queen, or start her own hospital as Chief of Medicine." Princess Sapphire countered her argument.

"But… don't you have feelings for Smolder as well, Princess Sapphire?" Florence asked slowly.

Tea was thinking that very same thought, surprised that Sapphire of all ponies would be encouraging her to try and become Smolder's special some pony.

"My feelings are my own. The fact of the matter is that Ms. Herbal…" Princess Sapphire began, looking very confident in her words. "Is… my friend… and I will support her in everything she does."

There was a moment of silence that followed this enlightening news. To where Tea thought of Sapphire as a rival, Sapphire had already thought of her as a friend. This realization made Tea think of how she had closed herself off from Sapphire, taking every opportunity to challenge her, while Sapphire did her best to be accepted by her. Her mother's words seemed to resonate with her now, 'Sometimes pain can be on the inside, honey; most ponies can't see it unless they've been through it too.' It never occurred to her that Sapphire may have been hurting, that she was ignoring her own feelings for the sake of Tea's own.

"Are we your friends too?" Chapel asked, almost pleadingly, scooting closer to her.

"We can support you in everything you do." Florence reassured her, inching closer to Sapphire.

"I suppose… that would be… alright." Princess Sapphire said slowly, noticing the desperation in their eyes.

Tea got to her hooves, moving past every pony and picked up the lantern from her desk. Turning to Sapphire, Tea held it out to her with a smile; a real genuine smile.

"When I met Smolder, he needed some pony to talk to, and he found that he could talk to me." Tea began. "Now Smolder needs a pony that he can depend on, and that pony is you."

Princess Sapphire's horn magically lifted the lantern from Tea. She seemed very surprised herself at Tea's gesture, having willingly given over something so important to her without asking for anything in return. Not even asking for the promise of its safe return, just the confidence that Sapphire would take care of it like any friend would.

"I… I never depended on any pony." Princess Sapphire began. "When I met Smolder, I could see how difficult things were for him and his ascension to the throne, but he depended on ponies he considered his friends to help him. Without pause or doubt, he trusted them completely."

Princess Sapphire levitated the lantern back to Tea, who seemed equally as surprised by this.

"Carrying this all the way back home with my magic would be tiresome." Sapphire began, flushing slightly. "It would be easier if you came with me and carried it; to keep it safe."

"Are you taking Tea to the Frozen North with you?" Chapel asked in one large gasp.

"I can hold the lantern!" Florence shouted, offering her hooves out.

"I asked Tea to carry it." Princess Sapphire said flatly.

"Let us come too, please! Please! Please! Please!" Chapel begged, putting her hooves together and shaking them at her.

"You'll have to ask Ms. Herbal, that is, if she decides to come along." Princess Sapphire stated.

"You… can call me Tea." Tea said, watching Sapphire flush slightly at this.

"Please Tea! Please say you'll go!" Florence begged her, groveling at her hooves.

"I'll have to see if it's okay with my Mom first." Tea said, thinking about it.

"Mrs. Tea!" Florence and Chapel shouted together, storming out of her room to explain why she should let Tea go.

Tea rolled her eyes while Sapphire chuckled amused by their desire to tag along.

* * *

Ruby Simmer walked down the main road of the Narrows, carrying a saddle bag filled with slates depicting the inventory and supplies of her bakery. Having become the Ashen Fields most popular, if not the only, bakery, Ruby was working every day to meet the demand of all the orders that kept coming in. Having put in a request for extra help to work in the bakery, Ruby was looking forward to having an extra set of hooves around. The Narrows had been ravaged by spiders during the battle but even in a week's time the buildings were all but repaired and new buildings were already being constructed. Although, there was one peculiar sight that had Ruby rather distracted by was a lone Ice Pony, sitting on the side of the road next to a pile of rubble looking very pathetic.

"Is… everything okay?" Ruby asked curiously, slowly approaching the Ice Pony on the side of the road.

"Just leave me to die here amongst these ruins." Winter Snow muttered miserably.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked again, not sure why this Ice Pony seemed so defeated.

"I have spent three hours trying to find my way around this war torn battlefield these Flame Ponies call a home and have had no luck in finding the commoner's bakery." Winter elaborated further, sighing rather dramatically.

"Commoner's?" Ruby asked, looking quite confused.

"Every Flame Pony I have asked has led me astray, and now I must wither away here on the side of the road. My talents left to rot, Equestria a little less colorful without me being in it." Winter said sadly, lying down upon the pile of debris beside him.

"What's your name?" Ruby asked, shifting a step or two away from Winter's awkwardness.

"I suppose some pony will need to know who lies alone and forgotten here, for I am Winter Snow, heir to the house Snow." Winter introduced himself with a grave sigh.

"I… can take you to the bakery, if you still want to go." Ruby said, slowly realizing that this Ice Pony was the help she had requested.

"Can you really?" Winter asked, sitting up-right and looking rather hopeful.

"Yeah, I'm the owner." Ruby mentioned.

"Oh praise Celestia! I won't die out here in the cold!" Winter exclaimed, seemingly elated over this development.

"But… I thought you were an Ice Pony?" Ruby questioned him, not understanding his statement.

"Come along Miss, uh, Miss…" Winter stumbled over his words. "I believe I've forgotten to ask you for your name Miss."

"I'm Ruby, Ruby Simmer." Ruby said, introducing herself.

"Grand, grand, now take me to this commoner's bakery. I am interested in seeing how 'normal' ponies do things." Winter said, getting to his hooves and standing alongside her.

"You keep using that word." Ruby pointed out, starting off again with Winter alongside her.

"It is the appropriate word for the ponies of your stature." Winter informed her.

"Come again?" Ruby asked, feeling her mane flare.

"I am of Noble birth which may elude the simple lifestyle you Flame Ponies are used to but it places me above the common ponies; bringing me respect and admiration." Winter elaborated further, almost seeming proud of this.

"Why?" Ruby asked, starting to feel annoyed.

"My family has worked hard to achieve the amount of influence and wealth over many generations. To be part of such a powerful and noble house commands the respect of ponies that are… well… beneath us." Winter explained.

"So I'm beneath you?" Ruby asked, feeling her anger starting to swell.

"Only in social statuses… and perhaps culinary skills… education… height." Winter added, noticing that Ruby was a half a head shorter then him.

"Fine! You're fired!" Ruby shouted in a huff, before storming off.

"What!" Winter shouted in horror.

Winter expected her to stop to converse with him further but Ruby continued her march down the street without a second glance back. Quickly rushing up beside her, Winter seemed very scared at the thought of being fired.

"No, no, no, no, Miss Ruby, I believe you have understood me all wrong!" Winter appealed to her, as Ruby shot him a harsh look.

"Have I?" Ruby asked coldly.

"I was not inferring that you were any less of a pony then I." Winter explained to her.

"Oh?" Ruby asked again, not really believing his words.

"I merely implied that you are inferior to me." Winter concluded with a satisfied smile upon his face.

"Go back to your pile of rocks and drop dead you jerk!" Ruby shouted in his face before storming off once more.

Having realized that he had unknowingly added fuel to Ruby's fire, Winter was now even more afraid of his situation. Racing around in front of her, Winter blocked her path, putting his hooves together and lying flat on the ground; groveling to her.

"Please Miss Ruby! No pony in the Snow Family has ever been fired from any job! I cannot put such a blemish upon my family's house; it would be a fate worse than death! I ask for your forgiveness if I have insulted you in any way!" Winter pleaded with her.

Even though Ruby was still fuming, she found it easy to read this Ice Ponies sincerity, and could tell that he was sorry even if he sounded sincere about his other remarks. For some strange reason, Ruby was remembering the very mean Flame Pony Francis that had gotten angry with Pinkie Pie. It was two very different ponies coming together, that could have ended very ugly but had found some common ground. Ruby frowned at the idea of letting this pompous pony work with her, but there was the nagging feeling of Pinkie Pie's smiling face just hovering over her shoulder; wanting her to do the right thing.

"…okay." Ruby mumbled, stepping past him.

"Oh thank you! Thank you, Miss Ruby! I promise you won't regret this second chance you've given me." Winter exclaimed, sounding very relieved.

"Yeah, well, you can start by calling me Ms. Simmer." Ruby stated, feeling the oddly satisfying sensation of a power trip.

"Of course Ms. Simmer!" Winter replied.

The two ponies walked on for some time, Winter had fallen silent, as if to avoid saying anything that would displease her. This was just fine for Ruby who needed that time to let herself cool off; trying to reason her anger away. Thinking of how there was most likely a cultural barrier, that things were done differently in the Frozen North then in the Ashen Fields, and that Winter was merely a victim lost in some sort of translation.

" _This_ … is it?" Winter asked, with a rather dissatisfied tone.

Ruby and Winter stood outside of the Bakery titled 'Baking It Real'. The shop itself was practically new, although the interior was very bland in terms of design and color, mostly due to the fact that Flame Ponies would much rather eat then come for the atmosphere. The walls, the floors, the ceilings, the counters, the shelves, everything was just a solid grey color. The windows had been broken during the battle with the spiders, even though the new windows were installed Ruby had yet to decorate the windows; leaving them clear and empty.

"Yeah, what's wrong with it?" Ruby asked in a sort of threatening voice.

"Uh… nothing, nothing at all." Winter replied quickly, catching the angry sneer she was giving him.

Upon entering the bakery, Winter's attitude did not improve, but did his best to keep a smile on his face. Whenever Ruby turned her back Winter would sigh or grimace at the state of the bakery, but kept his phony bologna smile on without fail. Setting up behind the counter, Ruby could only kick herself for asking for help in the first place. Deciding to make the best of it, Ruby decided to get some of the odds and ends out of the way while she did have some extra hooves to help around the bakery.

"There are some crates in the back that need to be moved into the stockroom for storage." Ruby announced.

"Shall I fetch a few of those worker Flame Ponies to get said task completed?" Winter offered.

"No, I want you to do it." Ruby pointed out.

"Me? Surely you jest! I am a Sous Chef in the Frozen North! Not some low brow… thug who would dirty his hooves to do mere labor!" Winter objected looking quite offended.

"You've got a horn, don't you?" Ruby asked, not buying into his whines.

"Well of course I have a-" Winter began.

"Then get to it or you're fired." Ruby said flatly, organizing her slates under the counter.

Winter opened his mouth several times to argue his point, but each time stopping short with the notion of being fired in play. Grumbling under his breath, Winter straightened himself up; walking with his dignity he stepped behind the counter to get to the back room.

"Right away, Ms. Ruby." Winter stated, sounding bitter.

"Ms. Simmer." Ruby corrected him.

The day seemed to drag on from there. What was to be simple tasks turned into projects as Winter seemed to struggle with everything Ruby had assigned for him; seeming to never have done a single days work in his entire life. Having stacked the boxes ends up rather than laying them flat, having used his magic to summon a windstorm to sweep the back room, having tried to chisel a new back door to save himself four extra hoofsteps to the other door that led to the back alley if only to throw away some trash. Needless to say Ruby was ready to close the shop early and take the rest of the day off to recover from Winter's annoyance.

Luckily the bell that hung over the door to the bakery chimed as a Flame Pony mare came strolling in. Putting on her award winning customer service smile, Ruby greeted the Flame Pony and thanked Celestia that Winter was still in the back room trying to figure out how to take inventory.

"Good afternoon, what can I get for you today?" Ruby asked politely.

"Hi, I'm the pony that placed the order for my son's birthday cake. It should be under the name Posh." The Flame Pony mare replied.

Ruby seemed to seize up. Having spent all day dealing with Winter, Ruby had completely forgotten to fulfill even a single order, and what was worse it was for a young colt's birthday. The Flame Pony mare looked expectantly at Ruby, as if waiting for her to respond.

"Is something wrong?" The Flame Pony mare asked curiously.

"I-I-I-I-I-I…" Ruby stammered, taking a quick look at the back counter.

Having not made a single cake since her tutelage under Pinkie Pie, Ruby knew she wasn't going to find a way out of this one. Adding on to her troubles for the day, Ruby knew she was going to have to inform the customer of her mistake and quite possibly ruin her son's birthday party.

"I'm… sorry, but I'm afraid I didn't make the cake." Ruby said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" The Flame Pony mare asked, suddenly looking worried.

"I was working with a new-" Ruby began, ready to explain herself when Winter suddenly stepped up beside her.

"We are working on a new system of preparing cakes, Madam. For I, Winter Snow, four time winter of the Frozen North's regional bake off have been called here to the Ashen Fields to prepare for your son a special birthday cake." Winter interjected, much to the sudden horror on Ruby's face and the surprised delight of the Flame Pony mares.

"You brought in a specialist? Just for my little Posh?" The Flame Pony mare asked with joy.

"Well I didn't-" Ruby began, trying to push Winter away.

"First!" Winter shouted aloud, his horn suddenly flashing with magic.

Ruby double backed as ingredients from the back room started to dance their way through the air onto the counter. Sliver mixing bowls were magically rolling towards Winter across the counter as he wore a look of stern but focused face. The Flame Pony mare looked simply delighted at the spectacle.

"We add the finest ingredients Equestria has to offer!" Winter said aloud, his magic already mixing and measuring the ingredients.

"Will the cake be ready in time?" The Flame Pony mare asked curiously.

"What does a mother wish for her son on his special day? The answer you may ask? She would want nothing more than his happiness, which I, Winter Snow, will provide in no less than five minutes." Winter declared, the stone spoon already mixing the bowl.

"This I got to see." Ruby mumbled, just as interested as the Flame Pony mare was.

"For what better combination of baker, or Sous Chef, then Flame and Ice Pony? There is none. Now watch as I bake the batter into a cake while already starting on the frosting." Winter said, pouring the batter in the cake pans.

"You didn't even start the stove genius." Ruby pointed out.

"Hold this." Winter asked, placing the two cake pans in both of Ruby's hooves.

Ruby looked up at Winter who leaned a little closer to her; she flushed slightly at how close his face was to hers.

"You're quite chubby." Winter said to her.

"What!" Ruby shouted, her flames flaring.

"Viola! The cake is finished baking!" Winter announced, taking the pans from Ruby quickly.

Ruby sat fuming. Watching as the Flame Pony mare actually clapped for Winter's performance. All the while, his magic was preparing the frosting as Winter started to shape the cake into two fine circles with the cake knife.

"Normally a pony must let the cake chill before applying the frosting, but with my natural gift, the cake is already at the perfect temperature for decorating." Winter explained, applying a very masterful coat of frosting to the side of the cake.

With the cake plate underneath, Winter was able to spin the cake in place, designing a very impressive design from the frosting tube. A mixture of red frosting with black and gold flames that branched the edges of this cake. The name Posh elegantly signed on top, accompanied with the words Happy Birthday of course. The stone box slid across the counter, Winter lifting the cake from the plate and placing it carefully inside before closing it in front of the Flame Pony mare.

"Your cake is finished, Madam. I hope that your son finds it delicious, and remember, 'Baking it Real, our prices are a steal!" Winter announced, carefully sliding it to her.

"That was amazing! I don't know how to thank you, Ruby. I can't believe you sent all the way to the Frozen North just to make my little Posh's birthday something special!" The Flame Pony mare said humbly.

"Yeah… no problem." Ruby mumbled, trying hard not to look impressed with Winter.

The Flame Pony mare paid for her cake before heading towards the door.

"Allow me to get the door for you, Madam." Winter insisted, heading out from around the counter to personally open the door for her.

Ruby rolled her eyes at his showmanship but spied some leftover frosting in the bowl. Taking a small lick of the frosting, Ruby felt her eyes widen at the deliciousness of its texture and taste. It was well beyond any cake she had ever baked, even on her best day, and Winter had done it under a minute.

"How does a Flame Pony wash their dishes?" Winter asked curiously, walking back behind the counter. "I don't suppose you use water."

"This is really good." Ruby said, more impressed than mad now.

"It's an old family recipe, made from common ingredients found in one's home." Winter remarked, not seeming too flattered.

Ruby watched as Winter gathered up his mess and headed into the back room. It wasn't easy for her to admit it, but Winter did get her out of a jam; even if his shenanigans did cause it to begin with.

"Thanks for uh..." Ruby said at the threshold of the door.

There was a sudden crash as Winter tossed all the soiled mixing bowls and stone spoons into the alleyway as if to dispose of them. Ruby looked flabbergasted as Winter nodded his head with approval. Ruby quickly rushed over to him, yelling at him for being a brain dead Ice Pony, and being so careless with her dishes. Winter proceeded to defend himself with the lack of a sink, or any sort of cleaning implement in the back room.

"Just clean it up!" Ruby shouted, her word on the matter being final.

"Yes… Ms. Simmer." Winter grumbled, magically picking up the dishes from outside.

"You can call me, Ruby." Ruby mentioned over her shoulder.

Winter looked up, as if expecting her to be joking but Ruby was already back at the counter looking over her slates for the next set of orders that needed to be filled.


	13. Chapter 13: The Forgotten City

The Fields of Ouroboros was no more than a black sea of sand that stretched towards every horizon, strewn with what little remained of the old Kingdom of Naught with thousands of ghostly Echoes wandering aimlessly in all directions in its deathly silence. The small rock formation that jutted up from the black sand started to stir as the soft blue glow of Mira's starlight hair poked out from the hidden passage below. Checking to see if the coast was clear, Mira floated back down into the passage way where Glow waited, looking anxious to get things going.

"Okay, before we go out there are a few rules you should know." Mira began to explain to her.

"Rules?" Glow asked, looking surprised.

"Rule number one to surviving, everything _wants_ to kill you." Mira stated, holding up one finger.

"O-Okay." Glow replied, looking rather concerned.

"Rule number two to surviving, everything _can_ kill you." Mira continued, holding up two fingers this time.

"That's… useful." Glow mumbled slowly.

"Rule number three, beware of Hoopoe and Apep. Hoopoe's the raven, his wings are silent and it will gore you with its talons before pecking your flesh from your bones." Mira explained, holding up three fingers.

"That's gross." Glow muttered, frowning at this.

"Apep's the serpent. He will swallow you whole before you even know he's there. He hates the light so if he even sees a hint of it, he'll try to snuff it out." Mira elaborated further.

"Why?" Glow asked curiously.

"Because he was born from the spit of Nadir, the first of his abominations, and is filled with nothing but hate." Mira answered.

"You're kidding." Glow replied, looking dumbfounded.

"There are creatures wandering the fields known as Echoes, they don't hurt you and you can't hurt them. So don't be afraid." Mira added, motioning for her to follow.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Glow asked, following her down the passage to the Fields of Ouroboros.

Mira stopped short, floating quickly to Glow who reared her head back to how close she came to her face.

"There's a large wolf named Rok, he's my friend and if you hurt him I'll claw your face off." Mira said threateningly, poking her on the nose with her finger.

"I-I-I won't hurt the wolf." Glow promised, nodding her head several times.

Mira shot her one last threatening look, as if to solidify her resolve of the mauling if any harm were to come to Rok. Reaching the entrance of the passage, Mira poked her head out once more to ensure that there was nothing slithering, crawling, or skittering by that would spell trouble for them. Ducking back down to a waiting Glow, Mira moved her hand to close the passage with the large stone that hid her home from wandering eyes.

"We'll have to be quick getting to the Forgotten City. If we're spotted along the way then we're pretty much dead. If we make it to the Forgotten City we'll probably run into a whole slew of abominations and will probably be killed anyways. If we somehow miraculously find your Mad Pony, then we're still probably going to die by his craziness. Any questions?" Mira explained, looking rather nervous at the whole plan.

"Uh…" Glow began, unsure of what to ask with those kinds of odds.

"Alright, let's get going." Mira hissed, floating up and out from the rocks.

Glow was quick to follow. Stepping hoof onto the Fields of Ouroboros, feeling the black sand slide beneath her, the eerie stillness that hung in the air, the silence of the fields making it seem like her flames roared violently. Her hesitation was met with the quiet hisses of Mira, who floated a couple feet away, trying to get her attention; motioning her to follow her. Kicking off the sand Glow sped off across the fields, watching the Echoes Mira spoke of crawl from the ground below; almost mist like in their forms. Glow's gallop was much faster than Mira's glide like float. Scooping her up with her wing, Glow plopped her atop her back and carried her towards the Forgotten City; Mira did not seem to mind.

"Keep to the outside until you find an arch, that's where we'll enter." Mira said to her, climbing up the back of her mane to speak into her ear.

Charging across the sea of black sand, Glow was able to take in the enormity of the Forgotten City. It was if not, hundreds of times larger than Canterlot and the Crystal Empire put together. A mere city spanning such distance and size seemed almost impossible to navigate without being lost for days, but with Mira's help Glow was hoping to trim some of that time off. Approaching the edge of the city allowed Glow to see the damage it had suffered. Something of great power seemed to cleave large towers like knives through butter, giant walls toppled to mere stones littered the ground, and whole buildings turned inside out leaving not but the foundation left of where it once stood.

"This is it." Mira pointed out, tapping her on the head.

The arch Mira spoke of had seen better days, barely an arch anymore, pieces of loose stone stretched out connected to nothing. It was enough to be the landmark Glow could recall if needing to backtrack out of this immense city.

"Stay close to the walls, if you find an opening _don't_ go in it. Something is probably already using it." Mira instructed.

Glow nodded in understanding. Doing her best to keep her flames as low as possible, she trotted along the sides of the building walls; following the street leading deeper into the city.

"We need to walk from now on." Mira whispered to her. "The sound of your hooves will give us away."

Slowing her pace, Glow began to walk down the littered streets of ruined buildings that stretched high overhead. Stone walkways, paved streets were covered in thin layers of black sand, while some areas seemed to be void of it.

"Some creatures crawl upon their bellies, like Apep, disturbing the sand, and giving us a chance to steer clear of them." Mira pointed out.

There were abrasions on the sand, places where it seemed something massive had moved through, heading in certain directions, making Glow even more nervous to what could be stalking the streets at this very moment. Everything about the city was unnerving to Glow, it screamed death in every direction, and it provided absolutely no light other then what she was casting; making her feel like more of a target.

Something within the shadows ahead of Glow stirred, causing her to retreat quite quickly in fright, cowering with Mira behind very narrow alley way that separated the two buildings. A large tendril slopped out from with the building, striking the ground hard, disturbing all the sand and rubble around it. The creature dragged itself the ruins of the building, the burbling and gurgling of its skin was sickening to listen to as it reached out another long tendril and sickeningly slamming it further down the street. Glow could hear Mira shushing her quietly, which wasn't necessary as she was already holding her breath trying to remain as silent as possible. The noise of the creature faded, the tremors of its tendrils growing in distance, allowing Glow a moment to relax.

"W-W-What was that?" Glow asked, almost shaking.

"It is called Kana, think of a giant squid that absorbs you through its skin, melting you slowly." Mira whispered to her.

"Doesn't it need to be in water or something?" Glow asked in disbelief.

"What's water?" Mira asked curiously.

"Never mind." Glow replied, starting to have second thoughts about this whole endeavor.

"Why did it just decide to come out right then and there?" Glow asked, feeling her heart rate elevated just from that one encounter.

"It's attracted to the light, it probably saw the glow of your flames and came to check it out." Mira explained.

"Well that's just peachy." Glow mumbled, feeling that her flames were just a giant bullseye now.

"We'll need to cross the street and squeeze in between the buildings, Kana's ilk will linger for days and melt any that walk into it." Mira instructed pointing to the building across the way.

Nodding her understanding. Glow took a few deep breaths, trying to regain her courage and composure as she stepped out into the street again. The ink like liquid left behind by the giant squid seemed almost like glass, but Glow wasn't getting anywhere near it. Crossing the street, Glow was able to slide herself through the narrow alleyway, lifting her wings high overhead to fit; Mira resting her chin atop Glow's head.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Glow asked, working her way through the alley way.

"I'm taking us to where I found you; we can start looking for the Mad Pony there." Mira replied.

"You know… he wasn't always a Mad Pony." Glow informed her, struggling to fit herself through.

"Are you defending him?" Mira asked sounding annoyed.

"I have to defend him, or else every pony will only remember him as he is now." Glow replied.

"Need I remind you that he tried to kill you?" Mira asked in a matter of fact tone.

"That's not him, that's not him." Glow said defiantly.

Mira scoffed at her. Refusing to speak about it any further, growing tired of Glow's insistence. Coming to the end of the alleyway, Glow carefully poked her head out to have a look around; Mira taking her own looks as well. Not seeing much in the empty and ruined streets, Glow took the time to check the walkway and street before her if there was anything amiss with it; Mira gave her the go ahead to move on.

"Further down this street you'll find a clearing, a large area meant for gatherings." Mira explained pointing further down the path. "That is where I found you."

Glow nodded, remembering to keep close to the walls and walking off in its direction. Being rather paranoid by the large squid, Glow was extra cautious around every corner of each building, checking the inside of each one, and stopping for minutes at a time whenever she thought she heard something. Mira wasn't as paranoid as Glow, being upon her back meant being second to being attacked, which gave her some comfort.

"Do you have any kids?" Mira asked curiously.

"What?" Glow asked, her face flushing slightly.

"You know, did you and your mad pony make little ponies?" Mira asked, sounding bored but interested.

"He wasn't a Mad Pony when we… when we got together." Glow insisted, sounding annoyed. "But we did have some foals."

"How many?" Mira asked, pressing her question.

"We had twin colts a couple of years ago, there about seven now." Glow replied, smiling at the thought. "We named them after my father, Wick, and after my mother's maiden name, Pyre."

"You're Mad Pony didn't get a say?" Mira asked curiously.

"Scorch was always bad with names. He wanted to call them Fireball or Matchstick, or something." Glow muttered, shaking her head at the thought. "Our twin colts carry the name Phoenix, which is the legacy of the royal lineage of Scorch's family."

"You're royalty?" Mira asked, sounding surprised.

"Yep, I'm a Queen." Glow replied, glancing over her shoulder at her surprised look. "I wasn't a Princess, mind you, but Scorch was a Prince who became King, who I ended up marrying."

"So you married into money?" Mira asked with a look of approval.

"Hardly!" Glow snapped. "I was very much in love with him, or he was very much in love with me. It just took me a while to come around is all."

"Right, right, right." Mira said, not believing a word of it. "So you got two annoying twin colts waiting back home for you?"

Glow didn't respond right away. Mira could feel Glow tense up for a moment, as if something had pained her.

"We… had another colt, but he's barely turning a year old." Glow said slowly, sounding sad.

"So he's just a baby, then?" Mira asked, noticing Glow's uneasiness.

"Scorch and I were… we had drifted apart so much that…" Glow mumbled, unsure of how to phrase it. "It was just… unexpected."

"An accident?" Mira asked, sounding interested.

"It was a blessing, nothing less than that." Glow insisted, looking rather upset. "Even if Scorch didn't see it that way."

Mira could tell that she was treading dangerously close to a very sensitive issue with her. Not wanting to upset her, especially in a place like this, Mira tried to put a more positive spin on it.

"What did you name the squirt?" Mira asked.

"I named him Smolder. It was part of the name of my family's shop, but it was also because it was to reflect the slow burn of Scorch's and I relationship." Glow replied, still sounding upset.

"Are you worried that he'll become a Mad Pony, like his Dad?" Mira asked, feeling that this was what was troubling her.

Glow stopped walking for a moment; Mira could feel her weeping quietly to herself; feeling that she had pushed the issue too far.

"I miss him." Glow whispered, her voice wavering. "I miss all of them."

Mira could feel a twinge of pain within herself, that feeling of loss, of missing those you cared so much for. There wasn't any sort of comfort a pony could give when it dealt with family, but it was that shared pain that brought ponies closer together.

"We're… we're going to find your missing pony," Mira began, patting her on the shoulder. "And you'll both be home with your annoying little kids before you know it."

Glow was calming herself down. Taking a few deep breaths, trying her best to steady herself before turning to look at Mira.

"Not before I help you with that favor." Glow said decisively.

Mira could feel the wrench deep in her gut, that favor would never have her going home. Before Mira could respond, there was a sudden flash of light that came from far into the city, within the flash their came a sudden screech, one so familiar that Mira hugged Glow's neck tightly; it was Hoopoe's cry.

"It must be Scorch." Glow whispered, looking in the direction of the flash.

"We need to hide!" Mira hissed urgently.

"Hide? We know where he is, if we don't follow it now we might lose him." Glow insisted starting to take off once more.

"We're not the only ones who saw that!" Mira hissed, almost pleading to her.

Glow slowed down, thinking about the other creatures that may have saw the flash as well. Anything from the squid to some other unsightly monster would be going to check it out and it would just make then easy targets along the way. Fighting her urge to run towards it, Glow stopped her march and came to a stop.

"If he's smart he'll be hiding too." Mira whispered, trying to make her feel better. "He won't get far, even if we do stop to hide for a while."

"Where can we hide?" Glow asked, resigned to this plan.

"There's a shop not far from here, we'll be safe there." Mira instructed pointing away from the flash.

Glow walked on. She was willing to brave the dangers of the Forgotten City to get to Scorch, but not willing to risk Mira's.

The shop the Mira had spoken of was more rubble then building. This is probably why Mira considered it safe, as it had no real opening or conceivable space for anything to want to hide in. Crawling beneath a small opening in a toppled wall, they found themselves in a room that was mostly intact that provided them with enough cover to shield any wandering eyes from Glow's or Mira's light. There wasn't much left for Glow to discern what the shop was originally used for, but was told by Mira that it had once been a place of written word; more or less a bookstore. Resting near the corner of the room, the furthest possible place from the hole in which they entered, Glow laid down to rest a bit while Mira peeked out the hole to look around.

"I'm not worried about my son becoming a Mad Pony." Glow said aloud after a while.

Mira looked over at her. Having asked the question earlier, Mira floated towards her to listen further.

"He's got his brother's to protect him, and a very good friend of mine to look after him." Glow continued, looking a bit somber. "I think he's just going to be a sad pony."

"A sad pony?" Mira asked.

"He's going to grow up wondering why I wasn't there for him. Why I abandoned him." Glow explained.

"But you'll be back; you'll go home after this." Mira insisted, trying to comfort her.

"I'm not going back without him, Mira." Glow said; sounding set upon it. "I can't."

"Why?" Mira asked, almost sounding annoyed by her stubbornness.

"I made him promise." Glow said. "I'd always be there for him, for better or worse."

"Ptthhbt." Mira stuck out her tongue, blowing a raspberry.

Glow chuckled at this. Finding it a lot funnier then she should have, which only made Mira start to laugh herself. Like it or not, Mira was finding herself becoming more and more attached to Glow then she ever thought possible. It hurt her to think that she was going to betray her, giving her over to Null to spare her friends.

No more than an hour had passed since they stopped to hide. There were noises from time to time, but nothing came close to where they hid. Deciding that the worse had come and gone, and that whatever saw the flash would have already had its look, Mira signaled to Glow to move out once more.

Walking the streets of the Forgotten City was like walking through a maze of destruction, each building seemed to tell a story of a horror that had been done to it. That the sheer size of the city would have held countless beings, to find it completely empty and void of life; other than that of the creatures that now lurked around this place. Glow steps were more urgent, walking relatively fast, as if to make up some time lost, but slowed whenever the slightest sound was heard. It wasn't another hour before coming open a small clearing where scorch marks were littered about, with several charred remains of giant creatures resembling scorpions lay dead. There were still linger bits of flames from Scorch's attacks strewn about the area, giving off some moderate light to the buildings around them.

"Scorch…" Glow whispered, looking about for a clue to where he might have gone.

"Wow…" Mira whispered, amazed with the aftermath.

Approaching the fallen scorpions, Glow tried to measure the intensity of the burns to where Scorch may have stood, leading her to the next fallen scorpion. From what she could tell, Scorch may have engaged each one hoof to hoof, using his speed to get one alone for a period of time before the others would catch up, giving him time to beat them at his own pace. Glow approached one of the toppled scorpions, stepping over its immense stinger and examining its back and claw that were badly burned.

"This one is still warm…" Glow murmured, noticing the cinders still burning upon its deformed claws.

"That's comforting." Mira remarked sarcastically, noticing the thick shell of the scorpion nearly melted.

"He can't have gone far." Glow remarked, looking around for signs of where Scorch may have gone.

A sudden upheaval of wind fanned back Glow's mane, causing Mira to clutch her tightly, the black sand under hoof being blown away into the ruins of the buildings. The sound of scratching could be heard on the other side of the scorpion, the sound of a croak and a deep gurgling call cut through the air that had Mira seizing up. With the sound of talons tapping the stone pavement, the enormous raven Hoopoe had just landed several feet away from them.

"What is that?" Glow asked in a whisper.

"Hoopoe…" Mira whispered, clutching Glow's neck tighter.

It would seem that Hoopoe had not seen them. It may have mistaken them for bits of fire and flames that were littered about. Hoopoe seemed more enthralled by the free feast of scorpions left behind by Scorch as it pecked at the bodies bit by bit; scarfing bits of burnt scorpion down. Glow carefully stepped around the toppled scorpion to peek out to see this massive Raven, much the clawing protest of Mira's hands hissing for her to stay away.

Hoopoe's back was turned for the moment, raising one wing to clean its feathers before pecking at the dead scorpion before it. It was an amazing sight to see, if it didn't pose such a threat to them, but Glow was careful to keep herself hidden for the time being.

"What should we do?" Glow asked, not wanting to take any chances.

"We need to leave…" Mira whispered, sounding insistent.

Nodding her head in agreement, Glow backed up behind the toppled scorpion once more to leave the other way; hoping to slip away without notice. The scorpion's body provided a solid cover for them; if Hoopoe's attention wasn't deterred from its meal they could reach one of the branching streets and be on their way. Glow was just barely stepping over the fallen scorpion's melted claw when the sound of crackling flesh started to tear, the arm of the scorpion peeling off from the rest of the body as it slumped back over onto its stomach with a loud thump.

Glow froze on the spot. Mira's fingers gripping her tightly. Turning her head slowly towards Hoopoe, she saw the giant raven staring back, head slightly tilted with bits of scorpion hide in its beak. Hoopoe let out a loud cruck at them, fluttering its wings, tilting its head from side to side.

"Whatever you do… don't scream." Glow whispered to Mira.

Hoopoe opened its wings, touching both sides of the street, opening its mouth to caw loudly into the air. Mira couldn't handle it, shrieking at the sound of it, covering her head with her arms as if she was about to be eaten. Glow flared her mane, raising her own wings to shield Mira better as she turned to face off with the raven. In that moment, Glow watched as the giant head of a serpent struck from the shadows, biting Hoopoe from the head to its talons. Hoopoe's wings awkwardly bent at the corners of the serpents mouth, its legs twitching awkwardly as the serpent opened and snapped its jaws down several time to better fit the raven in its throat; feathers flying.

"Apep…" Mira whispered, shaking like a lead.

Apep was almost one hundred and sixty feet long, nearly three times the size of Hoopoe, his clear scales made him blend into the darkness so well that it only seemed that his glossy eyes were the only thing hanging in the darkness. His hood was always produced, ready to strike at any moment, its fangs razor sharp and deathly poisonous. The large lump in its throat seemed to pulse as Apep reared its head back victoriously finishing its swallow the raven whole before tipping its head towards Glow and Mira.

" _Thankssssssss._ " Apep hissed its tongue flicking.

Glow was at a loss for words at this point. Mira did her best to hide behind Glow's mane, refusing to look Apep in the eyes.

"What… what is it?" Glow asked in disbelief.

"It's Apep." Mira whispered, sounding very frightened.

"What _isssssss_ another Flame Pony doing here with a leech upon _itsssssssss_ back?" Apep asked, the bulge in its neck slowly working its way down.

"Leech?" Glow asked, wondering why Apep would use such a word.

"It _isssss_ what the Arcana are." Apep said. "They devour light, _jussssssst_ like the _ssssssstorm_ , _jussssssst_ like the raven… well not anymore."

"Storm?" Glow asked, sounding more confused.

" _Hassssssss_ the leech told you nothing?" Apep asked curiously, lowering its to get a better look at Glow.

"W-W-W-We have to run." Mira whispered to Glow nervously.

Mira's relentless shaking was enough for Glow to know that she was more scared of the snake then of the bird. Taking a step back, Glow watched as Apep slithered closer, keeping itself close enough to her. Glow could only infer that it was keeping her in range to strike, and that it wasn't about to let them go.

"Leaving _ssssssso sssssssoon?"_ Apep asked, tongue flicking once more.

"Well, you know, places to be, ponies to see." Glow muttered nervously; not liking her odds.

In the time it took for Apep to strike Hoopoe, Glow was sure that she would need at least her Flash Step to have any chance of surviving, but even the slightest show of aggression would have the serpent on the attack. Her only chance was to distract it enough to have it lower its guard for even a moment to drop into her Flash Step and try to escape.

"M-Mira told me of a great and all mighty serpent that roamed the Forgotten City." Glow spoke up, trying a bit of flattery.

"Why are you bringing me into this?" Mira hissed, sounding both scared and annoyed.

"Fear _issssssss_ what the leech _rememberssssssss._ " Apep hissed, its unblinking eyes fixated upon them.

"What is not to fear from a hunter as cunning and as formidable as you?" Glow asked, continuing to try and work him over. "You ate the mighty Hobo-"

"Hoopoe." Mira corrected her.

"Hoopoe in one bite." Glow corrected herself, smiling all the while.

Glow continued to try to dissuade Apep from his position on eating them. Mira pressed her face against the back of Glow's mane, wishing she was anywhere but here right now, but noticing the dead scorpion Hoopoe had been pecking at. The scorpion's stinger lay just off to the side of Apep, a stinger sharp enough to penetrate its skin, and close enough to give them a few precious seconds to escape. Slowly sliding her hands from Glow's neck, Mira pressed them together, focusing her magic on the stinger.

"How long does it take to digest something so large?" Glow asked, feigning interest in her own question.

"You will know _firssssssssst_ hand when I- AUAUUUGH!" Apep cried out in pain, twisting his body in pain; the scorpion's stinger imbedded in its side.

"Run!" Mira shouted in her ear.

Glow didn't need to be told twice, her body became engulfed in flames, as she turned hard to run away. Apep struck. His speed was fast, even for Glow who was in her Flash Step, feeling the scales of Apep's face brush against her back hoof as she leapt away. Apep's face slamming into the ground, upturning the stone beneath the sand, and hissing its frustration loudly. Glow barely touched the ground once more, her wings beginning to open to take flight with her next leap; Apep's tail was waiting for her as it struck her broadside and sent her flying through the wall of a building.

Mira was thrown from the hit. Landing hard on the ground, scrambling to her feet as she looked for Apep. With its body coiled behind him, Apep pushed off the ground, propelling itself forward towards Mira to swallow her whole. Raising her hands up in front of her, Mira created a small black barrier, which deflected Apep's head away from her; shattering her magic on impact. Frightened beyond belief, Mira ran to the closest dead scorpion, hiding herself beneath its legs trying her best to hide from Apep.

Rearing back, Apep whipped its tail towards the dead scorpion, striking it hard and watching it slide several feet. Mira clung to one of its legs, shrieking at the top of her lungs as Apep started to encircle it. Its body coiling around the corpse of the scorpion, slowly beginning to constrict it; trying to force Mira to come out.

"I wonder what the _lasssssssst_ of the Arcana _tassssssste_ like?" Apep asked, slowly crushing the corpse of the scorpion.

Apep felt a set of teeth sink into the side of his neck, near the base of his hood, forcing him to scream in agony as his body writher around in pain; freeing Mira from his bind. Mira gasped for breath, slowly crawling away from the scorpion's corpse, Apep's tail swinging dangerously close overhead. A familiar growl reached Mira's ears as she looked up to see the gigantic dark grey wolf known as Rok struggling to bring down Apep.

"Rok!" Mira shouted in surprise.

With a hard jerk of its head, Apep was able to fling Rok towards its mouth sinking its fangs into the wolf. Pulling Rok off his neck, feeling the wolf's fang tear skin from its body, Apep flung the wolf against the neighboring wall. Hissing loudly Apep turned to face Rok who snarled viciously slowly getting back to its paws, blood streaming from both fang bites.

"Leave him alone!" Mira shouted angrily.

With her markings pulsing, Mira reached out her arms towards Apep, conjuring several hundred shadow hands to take hold of it; subduing the serpent from moving. Mira struggled to keep Apep from thrashing, the serpents raw power was too much for Mira to hold back for long. With the shadow hands being torn away by Apep's thrashing, it lunged towards Mira, mouth wide to swallow her whole. A bright light flashed from the building, a blast of fire struck Apep at the side of the head, burning his right eye, causing the snake to hiss in unimaginable pain; throwing his strike off and having the snake slam into the building behind Mira.

Apep's eye started to blister, welts appearing upon its eye as it thrashed about slamming into the ruined buildings across the street. Glow emerged from the ruins of the building she had been knocked into, she was still in her Flash Step; looking mostly unscathed aside from some bruises. A loud growl had Glow whipping her head towards the giant grey wolf that towered over her. Glow flared her mane ready to defend herself.

"Rok! Rok! It's okay!" Mira shouted, rushing up to the wolf and grabbing the side of its fur.

Rok stopped snarling, turning its head to Mira, nuzzling her softly as she hugged his snout tightly. Glow watched as Mira repeatedly pet the giant wolf's head, whispering to it, as she thanked it over and over again for saving her. She realized that this was the wolf Mira had spoken of earlier, it must have heard Mira's cries and rushed over to defend her, but it was still alarming that with everything they've encountered in the Forgotten City that something this menacing was friends with her. Rok's wounds were deep, Apep's poison already coursing through its veins. Unable to keep itself upright, Rok laid down, panting heavily, whining softly.

"It's going to be okay, I promise, you're going to be okay." Mira whispered hastily; worry in her voice.

The building across the street started to collapse as Apep came slithering out, keeping a distance from the three of them. Its eye a blistering mess, blackened and red, forever blind in that eye. Hissing angrily at them, Apep's tail flipping back and forth as it continued to retreat into the shadows of the street.

"Null will hear of this!" Apep screeched, the last of the serpent disappearing into the shadows.

Glow dropped out of her Flash Step, turning to see Mira very upset over the condition of the giant wolf that was now lying on its side, taking rapid breaths.

"Watch him! Watch him, okay?" Mira ordered; her voice breaking as she pointed to the wolf.

"Okay." Glow agreed, stepping closer to Rok.

Glow watched Mira float off in a hurry back into the area of the scorpions. Turning to the giant grey wolf, Glow could see its wound beginning to fester a greenish ilk, its blood now to a trickle. Mira quickly returned with a piece of the scorpion's shell and one of Hoopoe's remaining feathers that were torn from its wings.

"Heat this! Heat it!" Mira demanded, holding up the scorpion's shell to her.

Glow didn't reply. She immediately did as she was told, spraying a concentrated stream of fire upon the scorpion's shell watching it start to melt. Mira pulled it away from her, turning to Rok; scooping a glob with her hand she pressed it against one of Rok's opened wounds with a painful hiss. Rok yelped loudly, snarling as it took a snap at Mira in protest. Mira responded by slapping it on the nose, hissing back at him. She scooped up another handful and pressed it against the second wound, listening to Rok whine in pain.

"Is he… is he going to be alright?" Glow asked sounding worried.

"Of course he is!" Mira shouted angrily.

Glow could tell that there was a great amount of fear in Mira's voice. Mira placed the feather over Rok, floating towards his head quickly, petting him several times and whispering that he was going to be alright.

"We have to find Kana! I don't have any more goo at home! We need to find her!" Mira shouted hysterically at Glow.

"The squid?" Glow asked, trying to remember.

"Yes!" Mira screamed, visibly crying now.

"Mira, just calm down, okay?" Glow began, trying to comfort her.

"Rok's going to die if I don't find that-" Mira started to shriek through her tears but Glow started to shush her quiet.

"You stay here and protect your friend. I'll find Kana and bring back the goo." Glow said calmly, gently steering Mira closer to Rok with her wing.

"But-" Mira began, but stopped short with Glow wiping away her tears with the tip of her wing.

"Trust me, Mira." Glow said confidently.

Mira nodded slowly. Glow quickly left the ruins of the building, fanning her wings open she leapt into the air, soaring higher and higher before flying off into the city. With the shallow pants of Rok beside her, Mira floated over to him, laying up against him and gently stroking his face.

"That's Glow, Rok." Mira whispered to him, trying to comfort him. "A very brave, very kind and very stupid Flame Pony."


	14. Chapter 14: I, Ice Pony

Castle Fjord was and has been an established Kingdom for many generations. Unlike Castle Char in recent years, the society of Ice Ponies went about their lives as if the presence of six normal ponies from Ponyville was no big deal. Every Ice Pony had something to do, or someplace to be, and it didn't pay them no never mind to stop to chit chat with the shivering six of them. Twilight and her friends stood at the edge of the second floor marble staircase of Castle Fjord, watching the hustle and bustle of a normal afternoon of any Ice Pony day. With Lord Tundra and Lady Frost being pulled away on important matters concerning the Kingdom, the six ponies, including Spike, huddled together for warmth wondering what to do next.

"I'm beginning to miss the marveled looks and warm atmosphere of the Flame Ponies." Rarity remarked, feeling as if she was being purposely ignored.

"I definitely miss the warmth." Applejack remarked, clutching her snow jacket tighter.

"The Kingdom of Ice Ponies doesn't really get visitors, and even when they do it usually doesn't involve most of them anyways. We're here at Princess Sapphire's request, unlike in the Ashen Fields where we were trying to help them rebuild." Twilight explained.

"A hello wouldn't hurt, would it?" Rainbow Dash asked sounding rather annoyed by the blatant way Ice Ponies just walked passed them without a care.

"Perhaps they're all just late to lunch?" Pinkie Pie suggested, her teeth chattering from the cold.

"Hello." A voice spoke up from behind them.

Every pony turned to see the Ice Pony known as Chancellor Stone standing before them.

"Chancellor… Bone, is it?" Twilight asked, trying to remember his name.

"Stone, actually. Our sincerest apologies for the Lord and Lady's sudden departure. Ever since the mess with the dragon in the Ashen Fields there has been a back log of work that needs their immediate attention." Chancellor Stone explained.

"It's no trouble at all, really." Fluttershy said softly.

"I am here to show you to your quarters and to inform you that Princess Sapphire has sent word that she is returning to the Castle later this afternoon." Chancellor Stone reported.

"It looks like we won't be waiting too long then." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Feel free to approach me about anything you may require during your stay here in the Frozen North, I will be happy to assist you." Chancellor Stone stated, motioning them to follow him.

It would seem that Chancellor Stone was a rather by the book pony, capable of conducting himself in a rather official capacity with subtle hints of what he felt like was humor. It reminded them of Wingston and Argo Fleece, just not a bat and not as grumpy.

"You kind of remind me of Wingston." Spike mentioned aloud.

"What's a Wingston?" Chancellor Stone asked curiously looking over his shoulder.

"Wingston is the Royal Advisor to Smolder in the Ashen Fields, he's a bat." Twilight explained further.

"I remind you of a bat?" Chancellor Stone asked, looking puzzled.

"Well, no, just how you seem to handle things when the King and Queen are away." Spike said.

"Seems like a rather odd task for a Royal Advisor to hold." Chancellor Stone commented.

"The Ashen Fields are still trying to get back on their hooves; every pony is pitching in where they can to help things along." Applejack elaborated further.

"Is this Wingston well respected amongst his peers?" Chancellor Stone asked curiously.

"I'm pretty sure Wingston is the only reason the Kingdom of Flame Ponies hasn't fallen apart completely." Rarity remarked.

"Then I am glad to know that I resemble such an important pony." Chancellor Stone remarked humbly.

"Bat." Spike pointed out.

"Of course." Chancellor Stone replied.

Every pony was moving along the large corridor of the second floor when a sudden explosion of smoke and sparks of magic erupted from a room on the left. The Court Wizard Floe stepped out from the clouds of smoke coming from the room, wearing very think goggles, covered from head to hoof in soot, Floe seemed rather pleased with himself.

"It's a little late in the day to be trying some of your experiments, isn't it, Floe?" Chancellor Stone asked sarcastically.

"I've successfully combined an apple and an orange together, creating an all new fruit!" Court Wizard Floe exclaimed in delight.

"So have I, it's called a smoothie." Pinkie Pie remarked.

Floe lifted his goggles off his head, narrowing his eyes to Pinkie Pie as if been insulted by her remark. Floe was, of course, the youngest pony among them, being only twelve years old.

"Do try to keep the noise level below 'booming' from now on, the Lord and Lady shouldn't be distracted by your shenanigans." Chancellor Stone stated to him.

"Thhhbbbt!" Floe replied, sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry at him.

Floe grumbled to himself, placing the goggles back on his head and returned to his work, slamming the door behind him.

"What's his problem?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Floe is our Court Wizard; he is very gifted in the magical arts, but is still very young. His love of magic is stunted by our need for it, where we would dive deeper in the mysteries of the power; he tries to distort them into a thing that amuses him." Chancellor Stone explained to them.

"It sounds like he's just trying to be creative." Applejack mentioned.

"Indeed, although it is merely a cry for attention that none are willing to provide for him." Chancellor Stone explained further.

"A cry for attention?" Fluttershy asked, sounding concerned.

"Floe was orphaned as an infant, let on the steps of Castle Fjord one night, many attempts have been made to find his family but all have failed. " Chancellor Stone began.

"The poor thing." Fluttershy said, sounding very sad.

"At the Lord and Lady's request, we took the infant unicorn in and provided him an education, a place to live, and a name." Chancellor Stone continued.

"Why did you name him Floe?" Spike asked curiously.

"He always seemed detached from the rest of us, always trying to fit in but never really connecting with any pony. He never went ignored, mind you, but he seemed go his own way when it came to doing things. So we named him Floe for that reason." Chancellor Stone elaborated.

Spike looked at Twilight, seeming confused as to what it had to do with Floe's name.

"Floe is a sheet of floating ice, Spike. It personifies his personality." Twilight explained to him.

"His aptitude with magic began at a very young age, mastering a great many expert level spells with little difficulty. He excelled in his studies and was granted the title of Court Wizard by many of our senior Unicorn Professors." Chancellor Stone remarked, sounding quite proud.

"That's remarkable for some pony his age." Twilight added.

"Floe has spent most of his time crafting new spells and doing research, but Lady Frost requires him to come to dinner at least twice a week; lest he be grounded." Chancellor Stone pointed out.

"Can she do that?" Rainbow Dash asked with a laugh.

"Lady Frost is a very caring pony, a mother first and a Queen second. If not for the lack of paperwork, it could be said that Lady Frost has adopted Floe as her son by the way she treats him." Chancellor Stone replied.

"Are they really that close?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"I defy any pony to tease Floe and not get an ear full from the Queen herself." Chancellor Stone chuckled.

Chancellor Stone reached a set of marble double doors that led to another corridor. This particular one was much less vast; it had ten doors, five on either side, and had two large basins of fire at the end of the corridor. Walking about halfway down the corridor, Chancellor Stone stopped and turned to the group of them as to make an announcement.

"This will be your quarters for the duration of your stay. You may choose any room you like for we have provided you with some of our older suites for they are equipped with a fireplace; to better ease the cold nights you will be staying for. There is a wood box built into every room, it will be replenished every morning." Chancellor Stone said aloud.

"That sounds lovely." Fluttershy said, with every pony seemingly relieved to hear the word 'fireplace'.

Spike ran up to one of the marble doors, pushing it open to reveal the inside of one of the rooms. The bed itself was a 'Yakistan King' an incredible on hundred and six inches in length and width, capable of holding at least nine ponies comfortably. With that being said, each pony would have their own room making the bed almost ridiculous to begin with. The bed itself was adorned with white marble, detailed designs carved into the marble depicting Ice Pony heritage. The room was furnished with a desk, a coffee table, a couple of hoof crafted wooden chairs, a couch pressed against the wall, the promised fireplace, and several rugs that patterned the dark marble floor.

"I could get used to this." Rarity remarked looking quite pleased.

"During you stay here in Castle Fjord and the Artic Bluff, I must inform you of the laws and customs of our Ice Ponies." Chancellor Stone remarked, watching the group ogle the rooms.

"Artic Bluff?" Twilight asked curiously.

"It's the city down below where the Commoner Ice Ponies reside." Chancellor Stone clarified.

"Commoner Ponies?" Rainbow Dash asked unsure of the phrase.

"As you may already know, there are two divisions of Ice Pony social classes. One being the common Ice Pony and the Noble Ice Pony." Chancellor Stone began.

"Is that to say that one Ice Pony is worth less than the other?" Applejack asked, not liking the separation of classes talk.

"Monetarily the statement is true, nearly all Noble Ice Ponies have a gratuitous amount of wealth attached to their name, but if you are referring to a difference in general worth of an Ice Pony's life, we consider every pony to be equal." Chancellor Stone answered.

"So why the separation in the first place?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You can imagine the difficulty of producing much of anything in subzero temperatures. The need for importing of goods, the value of trade, is very important to our Kingdom. The Common Ice Pony will work to provide for themselves or for family, much like regular ponies in other places, but there is no work if the Noble Ponies cannot create some." Chancellor Stone explained.

"So the Noble Ice Ponies create jobs for the Commoner Ice Ponies?" Twilight asked.

"Exactly, it may seem like there is quite a lot of Noble Ice Ponies here, but I assure you that comparatively the Commoner Ice Ponies far exceed the number of Nobles we have." Chancellor Stone reassured them.

"So the Noble Ice Ponies are rich and the Commoner Ponies are just… middle class?" Rarity asked sounding confused.

"While we are not perfect, Ice Ponies tend to be more spiritual then materialistic in our desires. Indeed, some Noble Ice Ponies indulge themselves in expensive things from time to time but honor and reputation out ways all those things." Chancellor Stone explained further.

"How so?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Noble Houses would present their reputation as sign of worth over a mountain of gold. That a powerful house commands respect from any that would look upon it, much like a mountain of gold. To do this, Noble Ponies give back to the Commoner Ponies in many ways, hoping to earn their trust and respect to help expand their influence. In reverse, the Commoner Ponies find it an honor to be a part of a Noble House, desiring to be a part of that respect that has been earned." Chancellor Stone elaborated.

"So the Noble Ponies can't function without the Common Ponies, and the Commoner Ponies can't function without the Nobles, right?" Spike asked, trying out his ideas on his claws.

"While there are some that seek riches and fame, in both Common and Noble Ice Ponies, there are some Commoner and Nobles Ice Ponies that strive to improve the quality of life of those around them in both physical and spiritual ways. Lady Frost was once considered a Commoner Ice Pony, but she is our Queen, which has made her focus on building a better relation between the two classes." Chancellor Stone explained.

"What is she trying to change exactly?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"With the Kingdom Flame Ponies once more becoming an opportunity to expand in several key areas, Noble and Commoner Ice Ponies alike have set their sights on profiting from them in some way. Some Commoner Ice Ponies see it as an opportunity to become Nobles themselves, while Noble Ice Ponies seek to expand their empire." Chancellor Stone stated.

"That sounds rather selfish." Fluttershy said softly, yet rather disapprovingly.

"Which is why Lady Frost personally selected the applicants to venture to the Ashen Fields; choosing young and impressionable ponies in the hopes of having them learn from the modest lifestyle of the Flame Ponies." Chancellor Stone remarked.

"Do you think it will work? That these Ice Ponies will develop a sense of humility and appreciation that the Flame Ponies have achieved?" Twilight asked.

"It is what the Queen is hoping." Chancellor Stone answered.

* * *

Being the Academy Leader had its perks, but no more so then having your name etched in obsidian sitting at the edge of her marble desk. Being the Leader of the Academy kept her busy, it was mostly slate work regarding the financial and daily reports that piled up on her desk every day, but sometimes she had to give some pep talks to new recruits and promote distinguished fliers. Having the day's duty roster in hoof, Flare walked out of her office, nose deep in the slate.

"Alright, Squadron four, five, and six will be doing the Marsh Run while Squadrons one, two, and three will be doing the Mountain Pass." Flare read aloud.

Looking up from her slate, she was rather surprised to see not a single Flame Pony waiting for her. In fact, the whole main hall was deserted with only a few Stone Cutter Flame Ponies chiseling away at the large stone pillars.

"Where is every pony?" Flare asked in surprise looking about.

There was a muffled roar of cheering coming from the barracks on the other side of the Academy. Deciding that it was the best place to start looking, Flare crossed the hall hearing the muffled cheers and sometimes boos of disappointment come from within. Pushing the large stone doors open to the barracks the sounds of dozens of Flame Ponies hollering washed over her.

"Place your bets, place your bets, odds and even, high or low, doubles are double the pay out!" Bleak called out over the crowd of Pegasi Flame Ponies trying to get in on the action.

Bleak held a pair of stone dice in his hoof, holding a stone cup in his other hoof trying to rally more takers. Wisp was collecting the bits and coin from every pony wanting to join in, keeping track of each bet on a slate. With the final cut off being signaled from Wisp to Bleak, Bleak tossed the dice in the cup before shaking it vigorously, before slamming it on the ground; every Pegasi Flame Pony crowding to see the results.

"We have an eleven! Odds and high wins it!" Bleak declared as plenty of ponies groaned at the results.

" _That's right every pony, fork it over."_ Bleak thought to himself, watching ponies toss coins at Wisp calling out their next bet.

"What's going on here?" Flare demanded aloud, making presence known.

Every Pegasi Flame Pony jumped at the sound of her voice, a wave of terror washed over them having been caught red hoofed. Turning on a coin, the Flame Ponies threw a salute at Flare trying not to make eye contact. Wisp was trying to crawl away, on his belly, hoping not to be seen.

"Freeze mister!" Flare shouted, pointing her hoof at him.

Wisp shot up from the ground, standing at attention, throwing his own salute, doing his best not to look nervous. Flare strode over to the collection of coin that Wisp was watching over before turning to look at every pony with a disapproving stare.

"Who is responsible for this?" Flare asked.

Every pony turned to point their hooves at Bleak who was trying to hide himself behind the rest of them. Having been ratted out, Bleak smiled nervously before feeling Flare's judgmental stare burn into him.

"I would like to thank every pony for donating to the reparation of Castle Char." Flare began, looking towards the pile of coin. "I'm sure that is what every pony was so happy to be partaking in. Because if there had been some gambling going on, I would have had to bust every last pony here back down to a cadet and make them take Rainbow Week all over again; twice!"

There was a lot of uncomfortable looks from every pony, uneasy at the idea of having to endure Rainbow Week again, let alone being knocked back to a cadet.

"Every pony here will get back on duty in the next ten seconds or I will have them moving rocks from one end of the Fields to the other for a month!" Flare shouted at them.

Every Pegasi Flame Pony bolted to the door.

"Not you two!" Flare shouted.

Wisp and Bleak knew that they were the ponies she was referring to. Stopping hard a couple of hoof steps from the door, hearing the small clops of Flare's hooves hitting the stone floor as she came closer.

"Would either of you like to explain what was going on here?" Flare asked, stepping around them to face them eye to eye.

"We were just… you know… taking a break." Wisp mumbled nervously.

"Wisp, you know better than any pony that I have two really big dislikes." Flare began, pulling on the collar of his chest piece, forcing his head down to look her straight in the eyes. "What are they?"

"N-N-No gambling of any kind." Wisp muttered.

"And?" Flare asked.

"Public shows of affection?" Wisp asked, not remembering the second.

Flare jabbed Wisp in the gut, her face flushing and her mane flaring. Wisp doubled over, deciding to stay down, hoping that she would let him live. Turning to face Bleak, Flare noticed that he wasn't as nervous as Wisp was.

"So what's your excuse?" Flare asked, stepping in front of him.

"No excuse, ma'am, just trying to make a bit of coin is all." Bleak replied, sounding a bit unnerved.

"I know you're new here, but surely even you would know that gambling in any way, shape, or form would be banned in this or any Academy." Flare stated.

"I did what I had to do to get ahead in life, ma'am, gambling is just one way of making sure I ate that night." Bleak replied, sounding rather sincere.

Flare seemed a bit taken aback by this. She knew what it was like having to scrape by; digging in the Dark Marsh for some roots, but times had changed for her and Bleak.

"You're not in the Frozen North anymore, Cadet, you're here, in the Ashen Fields and you will act like a Soldier Pony; do I make myself clear?" Flare said sternly.

"Crystal, ma'am." Bleak replied.

"Wisp, gather up every coin in this room and bring it to Ms. Fleece at the castle. Let her know it was a donation on behalf of Squadrons of the Academy." Flare instructed.

"You got it… Flare Bear." Wisp wheezed, waving his hoof towards her.

"Come with me, Cadet." Flare ordered, stepping out of the barracks.

Bleak followed Flare out of the barracks and back towards her office. The shadows of Flame Pony Pegasi flying high up above casted their shadows over the main hall. Opening the door for Bleak to enter, Flare motioned him inside before closing the door behind them.

"Alright, Ice Pony, why are you really here?" Flare asked, walking past him towards her large marble desk.

"I beg your pardon?" Bleak asked, looking confused.

"You might have fooled Ray and the other ponies out there but I'm not so easily swayed. I had Topaz bring over your file so I could get a better idea of who you are." Flare stated, holding up a couple of slates.

"Then there shouldn't be any problems then, I was assigned to help clear some rocks, but General Horizon was nice enough to give me a chance to be a Soldier Pony." Bleak replied.

" _Keep it cool, Bleak, she's waiting for you to crack."_ Bleak thought to himself.

"That's not what I'm referring to." Flare began, looking over the slates. "It has to do with your application that you filled out at the Frozen North."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Bleak asked feigning his innocence.

"When assigning a pony to move rocks, you don't really need to do much of a background check, but I like to be a little bit more thorough with my Cadets." Flare continued.

"How so?" Bleak asked curiously.

" _You got nothing on me, you hear me? Nothing!"_ Bleak thought to himself once more.

"It says here you have two older sisters, Cadet." Flare mentioned, reading the slate.

"Agatha and Marie." Bleak replied promptly.

"Which one is pregnant again?" Flare asked curiously.

"Excuse me?" Bleak asked, sounding surprised.

"That's what you wrote here on your application." Flare remarked, looking up.

"I never wrote that." Bleak replied, sounding rather confused. "The application never asked me about the status of my sisters."

"I wasn't talking about your application to come to the Ashen Fields, this one is about trying to get a job in the Frozen North as an apprentice treasurer." Flare stated.

The color in Bleak's face started to drain. The sudden realization that Flare meant what she said about his file, they had brought his entire record from the Frozen North here to be viewed.

" _Crud, crud, crud, crud, crud."_ Bleak thought to himself, finding it hard to swallow.

"He's a Soldier Report about you being arrested for selling fake deeds to Castle Fjord." Flare continued looking over the next slate.

"W-W-W-Well you see-" Bleak began, suddenly feeling his nerves start to attack.

"This one is rather interesting, your reason for having back alley blackjack was that half your family was dying, and the other half was pregnant and you needed the money." Flare said with a chuckle.

"I was- they- I couldn't – it-" Bleak stammered feeling his cover being blown wide open.

"What's interesting is that this file came straight from the Treasury of Castle Fjord, about you trying to scam your way through fraud claims on your taxes. It even says that you've been arrested on several counts of illegal gambling, counterfeiting, and…" Flare paused for a moment, looking rather surprised by this next part. "Impersonating a donkey?"

The jig was up. Bleak didn't predict his 'file' would follow him all the way out here but now that it had it wasn't worth trying to deny. Bleak had been an orphan pony since he was very little, lying and swindling his way to survive in the Artic Bluff. At times he needed a new identity, other times he needed to pay back some bad ponies he had borrowed money from, and sometimes he just got carried away with his gambling dens. There wasn't much in terms of a future for a pony like him, he just wanted a fresh start, but his old habits didn't seem to stay in the Frozen North.

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to fool some ponies when all you have to do is act like a complete jacka-" Bleak began.

"Alright, enough!" Flare cut him short, slamming her slates down on her desk.

"Okay, you caught me; I'm a con-artist." Bleak admitted, unable to fight against his paper trail. "I rip other ponies off for a living. I'm shrewd, clever, charming, and a very good liar. I don't really want to be a Soldier Pony; I just thought it would be easier to sit around pretending to guard something instead of moving heavy rocks all day. It also helped that there are some very pretty ponies in the army."

"So why come here in the first place?" Flare asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Bleak chuckled to himself. "You're not going to believe me anyways."

"Try me." Flare replied.

Bleak narrowed his eyes at her. Flare could see that he knew he was caught, that sending him to move rocks was just a transfer away, but furthermore, he knew that she couldn't believe anything he said because he was a proven liar.

"I'm a fair pony, Bleak, if that's really your name. I have come to believe in second chances, which is what I'm going to give to you right now." Flare began, getting off her stone chair.

"You're kidding, right?" Bleak asked, not sure if she was joking.

Flare took the slates from her desk, walking up to Bleak who narrowed her eyes at her unclear of what she was getting at. Dropping the slates from her hoof, they broke upon hitting the floor, much too Bleak's surprise.

"Those were the hardcopies of your file, seeing as paper is hard to come by up North, and unusable down here in the Fields, these slates were all that any pony had on you." Flare stated.

"I don't understand, why-" Bleak began, unsure of what her angle is.

"I believe every pony deserves the chance to better themselves, to make amends. It's what Lord Smolder used to tell us, that Equestria was willing to give us a second chance and that we should make the most of it." Flare explained to him.

Bleak stared wide eyed at Flare, unsure of what to say or do.

"Welcome to the Academy Cadet, what's your name?" Flare asked promptly.

"What?" Bleak asked looking confused.

"It seems that I dropped your file, Cadet, I won't know who you are until you tell me your name." Flare stated, kicking the bits of slate away from her with her hoof.

Feeling that this was Flare's way of starting over, giving Bleak the chance to start a new chapter in his life; the chance to really start over.

"My… my name is… Bleak Weather, ma'am." Bleak stated. "My parents died when I was… very young. I was the only child."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Cadet, but in time I hope you can consider all those in this Academy to be your new family. Because there are two things I really dislike. Do you know what those are?" Flare stated, returning to her desk.

"Gambling and…" Bleak mumbled, realizing Wisp had gotten it wrong earlier.

"Gambling and lying, Cadet. No pony under my command is allowed to gamble for money, or with their life. No pony is allowed to lie to me or any other pony in this Academy. Understand?" Flare asked, sitting back behind her desk.

"Yes… ma'am." Bleak mumbled.

"You'll be with Squad Four today. You can meet them at the edge of the Dark Marsh just south of here. I want you to write up the daily report, if you don't know how just ask a fellow pony, they won't lie to you." Flare commanded.

Bleak nodded his head. Turning to leave, Bleak felt as though he should say something but nothing really came to mind. Reaching the stone door, Bleak turned back towards Flare who looked up from her desk to see him staring at her.

"Yes?" Flare asked.

"If… If you don't mind me asking, are you and that Wisp colt a thing? Because I was wondering if you wanted to-" Bleak began to mutter.

"Good day, Cadet." Flare said sternly, her mane flaring slightly.

"Right! Right! Got it!" Bleak said quickly, opening the stone door to leave.

" _Smooth, idiot! Not even a thank you? Now you're out of a date and all the bits."_ Bleak thought to himself.

Bleak stopped short in the main hall, glancing back at the door where his old life lay in pieces on the floor of Flare's office. He looked back towards the open sky, feeling as though he was actually free to do things differently now.

" _I guess I'm stuck being a Soldier Pony."_ Bleak thought to himself.

That idea didn't upset him at all. It actually made him smile. For the first time Bleak felt he had a real opportunity to make something of himself, and he already knew how to play the game, but he had become part of it now.


	15. Chapter 15: Glow's Decision

Glow soared over the Forgotten City in search of the giant squid named Kana. With Hoopoe being Apep's lunch, the skies were free of its silent terror, but it wouldn't be long before other creatures would realize the giant raven's disappearance and become bold to venture out. Even with her promise to find the creature called Kana, Glow was having serious trouble finding anything within the Forgotten City below. Any real landmarks were no more than destroyed buildings, demolished roads, and debris littered everywhere. Hardly anything seemed remotely different, the ruins of the city seemed to blend making it seem like she was flying in circles. From her height, she could not see any sort of creature in the darkness below, forcing her to fly lower to get a closer look. Diving low over the city, Glow flared her mane casting light all over the streets she flew past; looking for any sign of Kana.

"If there was ever a time for a large squid to show itself…" Glow mumbled, feeling she had bitten off more than she could deliver on this promise to Mira.

Mira's desperation was so apparent to her, the same feelings she had used to convince her to go to the Forgotten City in the first place; it was the sense of losing some pony you loved. Glow couldn't stand to see it; she couldn't bear it knowing that Mira's friend would die all because of her insistence of finding Scorch. It seemed like every time she tried to reach out to Scorch, the more trouble it seemed to cause every pony. Everything had happened so quickly, the giant bird, the enormous snake, the massive wolf; all these creatures dwarfed not only her but more so Mira who had explored these ruins long before she had arrived.

The light being cast from Glow's flames chased the shadows from every dark corner, at times it was actual creatures fleeing the light, but nothing the creature see sought. Gliding around the bend of a street, Mira happened upon a small group of rather tall creatures draped in long robes with piercing yellow eyes. Glow recognized them as the Void Walkers from Mira's own description of them, trying to remember if they were dangerous or not.

There were seven among them; the Void Walkers crouched over a trail of black ink that was very familiar to Glow. It was Kana's slime. Floating down several feet away from the group, Glow lowered the flaring of her flame as the Void Walkers turned to look at her. In their hands they carried large stone jars, the edge of the jars dripping with the acidic ink of Kana's trail. Rising to their feet, the Void Walkers piercing yellow eyes stared at her unblinking.

"Hi." Glow said, trying to be friendly.

The Void Walkers remained silent.

"I'm Glow." She continued.

" _Hello… Glow."_ The closest Void Walker whispered.

"I-I was wondering if you could help me?" Glow asked hopefully.

The Void Walker that had spoken to her slowly lifted the jar filled with the acidic ink towards her as if inferring that she was after it as well.

"No, no thank you. I'm actually looking for the creature that left it." Glow stated.

" _Why do you seek Kana?"_ The Void Walker asked.

It was impossible to see any facial cues from them. With their raspy whispering voices, it made it sound sinister when they spoke, even if the words were unthreatening.

"The wolf, Rok, was bit by the snake, Apep, and I'm looking for Kana to retrieve some of her goo to heal it. Mira says that it is the-"

" _The Arcana?"_ The Void Walker asked, interrupting her.

"Well… yes, I believe that is what she said she was." Glow replied slowly.

" _The Arcana is a monster. Do not trust it."_ The Void Walker hissed.

"What do you mean?" Glow asked, stepping forward.

The Void Walkers seemed down with the conversation, turning away from her, they carried their stone jars down the street without another word.

"Wait! Please, I must know where to find this creature!" Glow shouted after them, with a little lift from her wings she glided past them to land in front of them once more.

" _The Arcana will betray you, it has betrayed us, hide like the rest of us, or be consumed by the storm."_ Another Void Walker spoke up.

There were a lot of questions running through Glow's mind, many of which didn't seem like Void Walker's wanted to talk about but with each passing minute the wolf was coming closer to death.

"Please, if you know where the creature Kana is, tell me." Glow insisted, almost pleadingly.

The Void Walkers turned to one another, there wasn't any words spoken between them, but after a few moments they turned back to her.

" _Kana makes her home underground. You will find one of her holes further down this road."_ The Void Walker replied, pointing down the street to its left.

"Thank you." Glow replied, quickly bowing her head and fanning out her wings to take flight.

" _Kill the Arcana."_ The Void Walker spoke once more.

"What?" Glow asked in surprise.

" _Before it kills you."_ The Void Walker finished.

Glow watched the Void Walkers continue on their way. Glow watched them as they blended almost seamlessly into the darkness after a time. Their words troubled Glow dearly, wondering what sort of secrets Mira has been keeping from her, wondering how something so small could pose such a threat when compared to the other creatures here. Deciding that it would be more fruitful to ask Mira directly, Glow took flight once more to finish what she had promised to do. Leaping once more into the air, Glow glided down the road looking for any sign of hole the Void Walker's had spoken of.

From a collapsed wall of a half toppled building, Glow's eyes spotted a sudden gleam from the debris that made her hover in the air for a moment. The gleam looked to be trace amounts of the ink liquid she had seen near the Void Walkers and it was a good sign for her as the ink seemed to be still fresh. Slowly entering the ruins of the building, it was clear that Kana had been here, for every inch of the area was covered in a thin dried film of ink. From the light of her flames Glow could see a large opening leading underground, beneath the ruins of the building. She deducted that this was the whole she was told of.

"Great…" Glow mumbled to herself, not liking the idea of going back underground; especially with something that big waiting.

Flapping her wings several times to psyche herself up, Glow cautiously approached the opening of the tunnel leading into the underground caves below. The walls were slicked with dry ink, making it nearly impossible to see anything other than blackness, even with her light. All it did was dimly reflected the light that she casted, giving her small glimpses of the edges of the cave around her.

"It smells like old fish down here." Glow whispered to herself, feeling very ill.

The cave was very roomy, due to Glow's size, when compared to Kana's. It needed to be rather large or spacious due to Kana's size to slide herself through, but it only added to her nerves when she would eventually find the creature. The sound of Glow's hoof steps echoed off the walls of the cave. The tunnel seemed to go on for miles upon miles. Glow was starting to have a bad feeling about her journey underground, the possibility of getting lost was one of her gripes but it was also being a giant target for anything else that happened to live down here. Her thoughts trailed back to Mira and the promise she had made her, causing her trot faster.

With a sudden hoof step, her foreleg suddenly broke the surface of the ground in front of her. Falling forward, Gleam flapped her wings hard, thrusting herself upwards. In so doing, the hole she nearly fell into suddenly snapped closed with a vicious bite. Glow watched as a cart sized worm slowly wiggled its way from the floor, several orifices opening closing, each one with a set of razor sharp teeth chewing the air. Its putrid pale skin was only out classed by the black ink that trailed from its many mouths as it seemed to feed on Kana's trail. Landing several feet away, gazing at the monstrosity before her, a sudden explosion from the rock wall beside her made her jump away. Another worm with jaws wide open sprung from the wall, snapping wildly at her, its many other mouths biting at the ink covered rock walls.

The ground beneath her started to shake, the two giant worms thrashing about, as if attracted to the heat of her flames. With the sudden explosion of two more areas of the rock wall revealing these worms, Glow was racing deeper into the cave, trying to stay ahead of these creatures.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" Glow hissed to herself, watching the maggoty bodies squirm up from the ground below.

The cave seemed to have no end, the black ink walls stretched on and on with the worms writhing their way out of its walls. It wasn't long before a worm shot up from the ground before Glow, swinging its body towards her trying to bite her with its toothy mouth. Startled by its emergence, Glow didn't hesitate to spray a torrent of fire its way out of fear. The worm hissed and sizzled, its pale skin blistering from the flames, body blackening as it thrashed around in pain. Glow watched as the worm slammed against the ground, twitching from its burns, its flesh sizzling loudly. Much to her horror, several more worms exploded from the ground around the felled worm and began to consume it piece by piece.

"Sweet Cel-" Glow stopped short of hurling, quickly sprinting away with her eyes shut tight from the appalling sight.

Racing deeper into the tunnel Glow found that ground beneath her end, falling into the abyss before her. Fanning out her wings, she caught herself, allowing a slow decent into the darkness below. Eventually the tunnel let out into an expanse that left her like a star in the blackness, a light glowing in the matte of darkness around her. Deciding to flare her mane once more, Glow increased the intensity of her flames. With it, a monstrous tentacle jutted from the darkness towards her.

Dropping her wings, Glow fell underneath the reach of the tentacle, listening to the wet slick goo that squelched with every bend. Thrusting out her wings, Glow sailed through the air, watching the tentacle whipped towards her once more. Beating her wings hard Glow rose out of the reach of the tentacle as the passing wind of its swipe fanned her flames. Being out of reach, Glow could hear the sloshing of Kana in the darkness, moving itself, trying to get closer to her once more.

"Hello?" Glow called out; half hoping that the creature would try to communicate in some way.

A volley of tentacles cut through the air towards her. With a flash of her horn, Glow created a magical barrier around her as the tentacles impacted the sphere, slamming it straight down. The barrier hit the ground hard, but leaving Glow just a bit shaken. Looking up, Glow saw the tentacles striking down towards her. Almost like a drum the tentacles bashed against her magical barrier, each hit creating another crack in her sphere.

"At least I found the bottom." Glow mumbled to herself, struggling to maintain her barrier.

With the tentacles rising to strike at her once more, Glow dropped into her Flash Step, dispelling her barrier as she took off in a flash. A deafening crash exploded behind her, the tentacles breaking apart the ground with their massive force as a trail of fire was left in her sprint. Glow spewed fire against the ground around her, flaring her wings to throw her flames further out, revealing Kana a bit more with each breath.

The creature Kana became illuminated from the fire, its gelatinous mass slightly visible from its deep black color, the light barely tracing the creature hidden with the shadows. With sickening glops Kana slid itself towards the dashing Glow, tentacles slicing through the air, thunderously pounding the ground where Glow once stood as she narrowly evaded. There were only two questions that ran through Glow's mind while racing around through the darkness from the persistent tentacles, how was she going to get close to the creature, and how was she going to carry the promised goo back. With the possibility of Kana's ink being used as a weapon, Glow kept her distance to minimize the threat of having Kana spray her acidic black ilk through the darkness.

The walls of the cavern echoed a mucky garbled cry, Kana's tentacles reaching high overhead towards the ceiling; Glow still prancing about trying to keep one step ahead of it. The giant mass of squid rose up from its perch, lifting itself with the tentacles stuck to the roof, and swinging its massive size towards Glow to crush it. The sheer size of Kana, not to mention its jarring speed, had left Glow with few options. Sliding to a stop, her horn already shining brightly, Glow magically blinked out of sight. The squelching of Kana's body echoed across the cavern, the impact shook the world around her, a bubbling and drowning sort of cry escaped from the creature. Reappearing several feet in the air, Glow phased out of her Flash Step, having exerted too much energy in such a short period of time.

A sudden shadow passed dangerously close to Glow, causing her to jerk away from it. With a loud thud echoing from the bottom of the floor, along with many others, Glow flared her mane a bit more to see bits of the rock from the ceiling cascading. Having no better option of fighting Kana in the dark, Glow soared higher into the air to get closer to the ceiling. Glob and squelching sounds were heard striking hard against the side of the cavern, almost spider like did Kana ascend the wall to try and reach her.

"Spell, spell, what was the spell?" Glow asked herself, trying hard to remember.

With her flames illuminating the ceiling she approached, Glow glanced down to see the tentacles of Kana nearly upon her. Unable to remember a spell that would cleave rock with ease, Glow decided some improvisation would be required if she was going to make it out of this with her life. Kana's tentacle whipped towards her, striking mostly the ceiling, swiping a mass of rock from the roof. Glow nimbly danced away, standing upside down upon the ceiling looking down at Kana that burped a sickening sound her way.

Witnessing four tentacles rearing back to strike her, Glow dug her hooves in, ready to make her move, awaiting the perfect moment to strike. Kana's tentacles swung back towards Glow trying to scrape her from the ceiling. Kicking off the ceiling, Glow weaved herself through the swinging tentacles, free falling towards Kana's gelatinous mass. Kana lifted its body revealing a putrid, slime covered, fanged mouth beneath her body, opening wide in the attempt to swallow her whole. Opening her wings, Glow caught the updraft of wind, throwing her clear of the mouth, rolling over top of Kana, feeling the goo drape of her.

The impact upon the ceiling from Kana's tentacles had weakened the structure of the cavern's ceiling, causing it to collapse upon the creature. Heavy stone, massive boulders peppered Kana as the hole from the ceiling grew wider, dragging in the building from up above in the Forgotten City down into the darkness. Trying desperately to free herself of the goo that was keeping her wings from opening, Glow repeatedly tried to ignite her flames, slowly burning away the goo that layered her.

"Just spark will you!" Glow screamed in frustration as the ground was quickly growing closer.

With seconds to spare Glow's Flash Step once more ignited, vaporizing the goo from her body, allowing her wings to unfold and soften her landing. Once on the ground, Glow looked up to see Kana falling along with an avalanche of ground chasing after it. Leaping back, Glow's horn flashed a white light as the impact of Kana and the dirt kicked up a storm of dust and sand.

Within the clouds of dust, Glow stood within a protective sphere of magic, layered thickly with dirt, fanning out her wings the sphere popped outwards tossing the dirt from her. Flapping her wings, Glow covered her mouth with her hoof trying her best not to breathe in the dust. Lying before her was the creature Kana, pinned beneath dirt, stone, and debris of the Forgotten City and the cavern walls. If nothing, Kana was still very much alive, possibly dazed, or too hurt to move for the moment. Finding this to be her best chance of acquiring the goo in a more productive manner, Glow magically elevated a decent sized rock from the ground and started to cleaved bits of it away. Stone cutting was not something she prided herself on, most Flame Ponies at one point or another has to cut stone, but she didn't need anything fancy; just something practical.

Having sheered the rock away, gutting a pit into it, Glow had made a rather rectangular jar similar to the ones Mira had in her cave. Cautiously approaching Kana, Glow spied a bare spot upon her body with some lightly dusted goo. Using her magic, Glow scraped the side of the stone jar against the side of Kana's body, gathering up a generous portion of goo before lidding it shut. Stepping back from the creature, Glow looked up to the hole in the cavern ceiling, a bit less darker then within cave, proving it to be the black sky over head.

"Sorry for burying you." Glow remarked, sounding sincere. "But you were being rather difficult."

Leaping into the air, the stone jar clutching in her arm, Glow flew towards the opening in the ceiling. Only having flown halfway, Glow could tell she was very much exhausted for her bout with the creature Kana. With the hopes of not running into anymore creatures within the Forgotten City, Glow neared the edge of the hole, allowing her wings to take a break while she climbed the rest of the way up the lip of the pit. With her breath labored, Glow stepped out onto the solid flat ground of the road that had not given way to the sudden sink hole they had caused. Looking up, Glow found herself staring at the one creature she would not have thought of seeing; Scorch.

Scorch stood several yards away. Flames still dangerously and violently whipping off his mane, his body not yet the scabbed and legion ridden husk of his hide, but very much a colt with a deep red flame that burned bitterly. Having forgotten the words she had been practicing on reciting to him to convince him to come back, the speech of forgiveness and understand she wanted him to hear, Glow stared quietly at him unsure of what would happen next.

"I have been looking for you." Scorch said aloud, his voice sharp and vicious.

"Really?" Glow asked in surprise.

"I thought you dead, having left you alone to die during our last meeting." Scorch remarked beginning to stride towards her.

"Scorch, I wanted to tell you that I can look past this and-"Glow began, feeling a sense of urgency to have him hear all that she wanted to say.

"The mirror's magic is far more powerful than even I could have anticipated." Scorch cut her off, still striding closer.

"Mirror?" Glow asked, her train of thought being derailed.

"The Void Mirror you had used to come here. I attempted to step back through it but found it to be a blocked with magic more powerful then I." Scorch stated.

"The mirror is only meant to go one way-" Glow began again.

"This is why I require your power to help me overcome this minor annoyance so that I may return to Equestria and make Celestia pay for challenging me." Scorch explained, cutting her off once more.

"Celestia banished you for that very reason Scorch! You challenged the peace and happiness of Equestria with this stupid war of yours!" Glow shouted, feeling a swell of anger and annoyance over his persistence.

"My banishment may have been by Celestia's hoof, but it would not have happened if you had not betrayed me!" Scorch cried angrily, his mane flaring wildly; searing the edges of the buildings he strode by.

"I did it to save every pony from this madness!" Glow shouted back.

" **ENOUGH**!" Scorch cried, stomping his hoof down and shaking the street beneath him.

There was a long silence between the two of them. Scorch's eyes were still burning the deep red hate that had consumed him these last few years, it pained Glow to see her special some pony so twisted by his own hate to live like this.

"You have paid for your treasonous actions when I left you to die, but I have since forgiven you for what you have done. You will come with me and help me reverse the power of this mirror and return me to Equestria." Scorch stated, malice hidden within his cold tone.

"Forgiven me?" Glow asked, sounding rather hurtfully surprised.

"Be it that you are the Queen I am well within my rights to-" Scorch started.

"You forgive me?" Glow cut him short, her mane flaring in anger.

"Do not raise your flames to your King!" Scorch cried angrily.

"I don't… I don't even know you anymore. Is there anything left of that little colt that came to visit me every day?" Glow asked, almost moved to tears.

"Glow you listen to-" Scorch began, taking a step forward, but watching Glow take a step back.

Scorch stopped abruptly seeing this. There was a genuine sense of fear about him now, realizing that Glow was no longer listening to his commands. There was a noticeable decrease in Scorch's flames, as if trying to appeal to her with a less intimidating appearance.

"Glow…" Scorch began. "Sweetheart... it's me. Your King… your husband."

"You were once." Glow said somberly. "You were everything to me."

"I'm still _here,_ Glow, I am not gone." Scorch hissed, his anger rising once more.

"I thought that if any pony could save you, it would be me. I see now I was just fooling myself, I just couldn't accept it." Glow said, taking another step back.

"You can still save me, Glow, you just need to come with me." Scorch hissed again, reaching out his hoof towards her.

Scorch started to breathe irregularly, a mixture of panic and anger swelling inside him. Knowing that Glow was not going to come willingly if he could not convince her otherwise, and it would mark his stay in this place for the rest of his days.

"We can go back... to… to our children." Scorch whispered to her.

This had Glow freeze up.

"We cannot leave them to grow up without their mother or… father." Scorch appealed to her. "Come with me, and we will return to Equestria and be reunited with them."

"What is your son's name?" Glow asked him.

"What?" Scorch asked.

"What is yours son's name?" Glow asked again but more aggressively this time.

"It's… Wick and Pyre!" Scorch shouted back, pausing for a moment to think.

"And?" Glow asked accusingly.

"And what?" Scorch asked, sounding irritated.

Scorch watched as Glow's face screwed up in disgust and anger. Realizing that he had fathered yet another son, but had completely ignored him since his birth. His flames once more returning to a violent flourish of heat from his mane, Scorch struggled to remember the name of his son. Snorting angrily, it was apparent that Scorch could not fathom the name of his last son, knowing that he had lost his chance of having Glow come willingly.

"I have seen all manner of creatures here, Scorch," Glow said, sounding very hurt. "But none disgust me more then you."

Scorch let loose a blast of fire that encompassed the whole of the street, burning everything in its path, melting rock and turning the dirt to glass. A white light cut through the torrent of fire, striking Scorch in the chest, knocking him back hard onto the ground. Glow stood with the residue of Scorch's flames, her magical barrier having protected her and countering with a blast of magic of her own. Rising to his hooves, relatively unscathed from her attack, Scorch flared his mane ready to fight once more.

"Don't try it." Glow stated threateningly.

"I am the King!" Scorch cried angrily.

Scorch's horn erupted with magical power, sending streams of energy in all directions, cleaving the buildings around him and tearing up the ground beneath him. Leaning his head towards Glow, the power collecting within his horn exploded her way, a beam of red energy screeching her way. Glow's eyes turned a bright white, her horn shining with light, Scorch's attack impacted a wall of magic conjured by her. The energy from his attack suddenly locked off into a sphere of white light, Scorch stepped back in utter shock of this. With a deft motion of her head the sphere went sailing back at Scorch, flaring out his wings in front of him, the sphere shattered sending all his energy right back at him. The ditch carved out by his countered magic was immense, having tattered his wings, and thoroughly damaging his body. Struggling to get back onto his hooves, Scorch looked up to see Glow standing at the edge of the ditch watching him.

"This is goodbye, Scorch. It breaks my heart to see you this way." Glow said somberly.

"Where will go?" Scorch asked, in wheeze. "I will find… eventually."

"There is some pony that needs my help right now, a little being that is far braver and more deserving then you." Glow stated, turning to leave.

"The Arcana?" Scorch hissed at her.

Glow stopped short, surprised to hear that word come from him.

"You… are with the Arcana?" Scorch asked slowly, groaning from his pain.

"She saved me, after what you had done." Glow replied, coldly.

"Do not trust her!" Scorch cried angrily, trying to force himself up. "Do not go to her!"

"Why?" Glow asked, feeling that every pony's opinion of her was the same.

"There is… a creature that… commands a storm… of unbelievable power… that devours light… it uses the Arcana to find new sources of light." Scorch struggled to speak, sitting up.

Glow stared at him, refusing to speak.

"I have seen her sacrifice creatures to it, even her own kind to the storm. What better offering then a creature that can sustain light for years and years? She means to sacrifice you to this storm, if only to spare her own life." Scorch said to her.

Glow turned beginning to stride away from him.

"You cannot go back! She will be your doom, Glow! You will be destroyed!" Scorch shouted to her in anger and hints of fear.

"I came here to save the pony I loved more than myself, and I couldn't even do that much." Glow said remorsefully. "If I can save this little Arcana from the horrors of this place, to give her some semblance of hope… then I guess I won't be such a failure as Queen, a mother, and wife."

"Glow!" Scorch cried in anger, his horn trying to spark magic but failing.

"Your son's name is Smolder, if you even care to know." Glow said sadly.

Amongst the protest and cries of Scorch, Glow leaped into the air, flapping her wings and flew off over the Forgotten City. There was emptiness about her, the sense of loss teaming from her. Still clutching the stone jar under her arm, Glow soared through the air, silently weeping to herself wondering where things had gone so wrong and how things were going finally end.

Mira knelt beside Rok, gently stroking his snout, whispering a song in the words of the Arcana to him, trying her best to soothe his pain. Black rats of unusual size had come to feast upon the carcasses of the massive scorpions that had been left to rot. Having to hiss and even flourish some of her magic at them to stay away from her dying friend, doing her best to protect him. The rats swarmed the streets, leaving Mira to listen to their screeches and scratches as they scurried about.

"Please… please… please…" Mira whispered to herself, resting her head upon Rok's.

There came a sudden flurry of scratches from the street outside, dozens upon dozens of rats fled back to the shadows of the destroyed buildings. A familiar warmth of light soared down towards the street, Mira floated quickly outside to see Glow, weathered and tired, holding a stone jar with her. Mira could not fathom the words, just staring mystified by her. Glow held it out to her; Mira paused for a moment, not staring at the jar but at her as if unconvinced that she had returned as promised. Very quickly, Mira snatched the stone jar and floated back towards the hole in the wall where Rok lay, taking one of Hoopoe's remaining feathers and draping it over him.

Glow stepped through the hole, her light illuminating the room around them, watching Mira work. Taking a large glob of goo from the jar, Mira smothered the feather with it. The feather itself started to decay, solidifying into black goo that covered a large area of Rok's fur and the fang bite. There was a noticeable difference in the wolf's breathing, no longer short and labored but drawn out; restful. Mira continued to fuss over the wolf, checking its heart rate, opening its eyes, and even going as far as examining its tongue. Glow lowered herself to the ground, visibly tired from her ordeal, laying her head down to rest. Just as her eyes had shut, she felt Mira tightly hug her around the neck.

"I… I can't… you…" Mira whispered, already moved to tears. "I… won't forget this."

Glow couldn't help but smile. She had made good on her promise, and Mira was obviously grateful for it. Even if what Scorch had said was true, she knew what it was like to live in fear, to be forced to do things, all in the name of those you loved.

"It's cool." Glow whispered, gently nuzzling her.


	16. Chapter 16: A Flame and Its Shadow

Mira had said that time didn't exist in the Kingdom of Naught; that their world was not bound to such nonsense. It was mostly due to the fact that every creature within the realm was immortal, and that it was folly for any to consider keeping track of it. I heard her describe it to me as having one hay of a long day, where you take periodic naps throughout it, but you never felt any older; only wiser. I was not blessed with such longevity, I could no longer tell what time it was, nor could I figure out the days to weeks I spent within that cave. All I knew was that time and I was still very much friends, time was present in the Kingdom of Naught, it just took some pony, mortal pony, to find it. Time marched ever on, I could only guess the days I had spent here, but I could feel myself getting wiser and I knew it meant being one step closer to mastering my magic. Mira had become familiar with time, having spent some of it with my mother, now spending it with me, and she found that she wasn't very patient for it to run its course.

"How long are you going to keep practicing that stupid spell?" Mira groaned, leaning against an upturned rock; her arm supporting her head.

I sat within my magical sphere, my horn shining brilliantly, my eyes closed to focus my magic.

"The longer I can sustain it, the better it will be." I replied.

For several days, Mira had been teaching me the varying degrees of Shadow Magic, most of which was for attacking and manipulating, but there were a few she offered to me that were for defense. One in particular that I was practicing was part of the Spell Reflection. It was the same shield I had used, with Mira's help, against the Great Dragon Char, only this time I was capable of conjuring it myself and sustaining it for long periods of time. It was spherical, magical runes similar to Mira's markings pulsed upon it, I was able to condense it into a semi-circle to focus it on a single attack from an enemy, but I chose to keep it around me for the time being. The more power I had the stronger it would be, the longer I could cast it, the more sustainable it would become. At first Mira was on board with the idea of having a suitable defense, challenging my shield with some of her own magical attacks, but when I had succeeded in maintaining it through one her more powerful attacks she no longer wished to continue it.

"We still have a lot more to cover, you're never going to get anywhere with just a shield." Mira moaned in annoyance.

The real reason Mira was annoyed was that she could no longer reach me, my shield had become formidable, and without risking blowing up her entire cave, Mira didn't try to smash it anymore. It was true that Mira had more to teach me, but having seen how easily the shield had fallen to the Great Dragon Char's power I found it necessary to focus on it more than anything else.

"You have to admit, my shield is pretty cool." I said, deciding it was best to move on.

My shield faded away, along with the glow from my horn. Mira was quick to leap at me, slapping me across the face; as if suppressing her need to hit me for several hours. I narrowed my eyes at her as she seemed quite pleased with herself as she floated past me to continue with her lessons.

"Your next lesson will be about your Dark Form." Mira began, holding up her finger to visually depict the importance of this statement.

"Dark form? I asked curiously.

"This particular Shadow Art is one that you will not have to worry about. For the Dark Form is a transformation of one's self into a state that increase your power to near limitless levels, fueled purely through hate and malice. This form is similar to the power you felt when facing the big stupid dragon." Mira explained further.

"How so?" I asked.

"All of your abilities were heightened well beyond your physical means, granting you a power that rivaled that of that giant ugly lizard." Mira elaborated further. "Even though your magic wasn't able to be used to its full potential, you achieved a new level of power that only you crazy dad has been able to achieve."

"But I wasn't able to control it. I nearly burned myself out trying to use it." I stated, thinking back on it.

"Your encounter with dragon fire would have had the same results of the Dark Form. The limitations of the Dark Form are extremely dangerous. In your case, you would have destroyed yourself from the inside out from all that power." Mira explained. "Your father lost his mind when he achieved it."

"How come I didn't lose my mind?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"That's because I was still linked with you, I was able to tap into your subconscious directly and stop the flow your magic. Enabling me to get through that thick stupid skull of yours and save your dumb life." Mira replied, using her fist to knock me on the head like a door.

Thinking back on it, I remembered seeing Mira for the first time. How she really did save me from myself, sacrificing her only means of speaking to me to purge the dragon fire from within me. It was the first time Mira had trusted me to keep my promise, and it was the first time I found myself trusting Mira.

"So why don't I have to worry about this Dark Form?" I asked, thinking more about it.

"You must first be able to reach your peak in both physical and mental powers before even trying to push yourself beyond them. It takes many years to be able to achieve that sort of readiness, and even then it is not guaranteed you will be able to go any further than that. Without the power of an elder dragon's fire raging inside you, you won't be able to recreate it." Mira answered, shaking her finger at me.

I started to remember the visions I had of my father, the time before he became the Mad King. The meager amounts of gold he had presented the Great Dragon Char during one of their encounters and how powerless he was to stand against it. He must have spent years trying to achieve that power, forcing himself to stretch beyond his limits, all in the hopes to challenge Char, but losing his mind in the process.

"So that's what happened to my father." I mumbled to myself.

"Your father never trained in Shadow Magic, but he achieved a different sort of Dark Form that had the same results." Mira stated. "There is no coming back from it, once you throw yourself into shadow, you're lost forever."

I didn't entirely agree with that notion, but I wasn't about to start arguing with her about it. I nodded my head, accepting her statement as Mira smiled at my compliance.

"What you will be working on for the time being is the art of Summoning, pertaining to objects and, in some cases, creatures." Mira announced.

"Isn't that teleporting?" I asked curiously.

"No, there's summoning, and then there is teleporting. There's a differences." Mira explained, moving her hands side to side as if to visually depict a gap between the two.

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Teleporting is sending objects, ponies, creatures, monsters, and yourself to a location that is _away_ from you." Mira started to define. "Summoning is taking an object, a monster, a creature, or even a pony and _bringing_ it to you."

"That sounds hard." I admitted, thinking about it.

"It's actually a lot simpler then it seems, as long as you know what you're doing." Mira pointed up. "I'm going to have you start with something easy so you can work your way up to the harder ones."

Mira floated away towards the side of the cave wall where she picked up a small stone. She carried it back to me, placing it on the ground in front of me.

"I hope you've been practicing your runes like I told you to." Mira remarked.

"Oh no, not this again! I hate drawing these silly shapes!" I whined, already hating this. "Do you know how hard it is to draw a rhombicosidodecahedron?"

Mira slapped my upside the head, pointing down at the rock in front of me expectantly.

"Just draw it and place the rock at its center." Mira instructed.

Reluctantly I started to trace the rune with the tip of my hoof, it was a very long and detailed process that left no room for error on this dirt floor; any mistake would mean having to start over from the beginning. Surprisingly though, Mira waited patiently for me, studying my movements, and ability to draw this rune well.

"You missed a portion." Mira mumbled beside me.

Floating down, Mira traced her finger through the dirt to connect several more lines to edges to complete my overly complicated rune.

"Okay, you're ready to perform a simple matter summon with this rock." Mira stated.

Taking me by the ear, which sort of hurt, she led me away from the rock to the other side of the cave.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." I muttered feeling like my ear was going to rip off.

"You'll need to imagine that specific rune in your mind, trace it as fast you can within your head, focus on the object you had left there and feel your magic bringing it closer to you." Mira instructed, letting go of me ear.

"Does it have to be drawn the same way I did it over there when I'm tracing it in my head?" I asked trying to picture it.

"With inanimate objects the spell does not require you to mimic it exactly the way you drew it, just draw it in your head and imagine bringing that rock closer to you." Mira replied, trying to dumb it down for me.

Mira claimed it was simple, and I had some hours of practice drawing that particular rune, it was still very difficult to picture it in my head. Closing my eyes, I thought I had a better chance of drawing it without any visual distractions. I could feel myself tensing for no real reason, I was trying to focus so hard on the shape in my mind that I felt uncomfortable sitting there with my eyes shut. The rock itself sat motionless, the dirt drawing on the runes remained untouched, and Mira started to frown.

"Well?" Mira asked, sounding annoyed.

"Not really sure what's supposed to be happening." I replied, eyes still closed; imagining myself drawing that rune.

"Draw and pull. Draw and pull." Mira said, waving her finger around and the pulling her arms close to her chest mimic the action.

"Yeah, I got that." I mumbled.

Several hours had gone by, the rock remained unmoved. I had fallen asleep a few times, having kept my eyes closed for so long, but Mira was at the ready to slap me awake. Much like any other spell Mira had tried to teach me, I was slow to pick it up, but I would keep at it until I was able to do it without so much effort.

"This isn't a hard spell you know." Mira mumbled, floating just above my head; her arms tucked under her head lazing about. "Eventually won't even need the runes to do it."

"Then why am I using them now?" I asked, trying my best to maintain focus.

"The runes act as a sort of magical space, whatever is within the rune that conforms to the amount of geometric space provided will be transported to you. Think of it as putting a small object in a large sack, and bringing that sack with you." Mira explained, with a yawn.

"How is a pony supposed to do it without the runes?" I asked curiously, still struggling with the apparent handicap.

"Summoning an object takes a lot of focus, you must be able to understand the objects dimensions and weight, drawing your own spatial dimension around the object itself in a much smaller radius and bringing it to you. Think of it as mentally outlining an object with your mind, as close as you can get, and having it appear in front of you." Mira elaborated further.

I was starting to understand the need for the rune at this point; I was trying to move a predetermined space to me. Visualizing a pattern I was already familiar with was hard enough but trying to do it without the rune would require much more focus and thought. Although, the idea of the stone being within a sack did click with me, having simply thought of having the rock brought to me on a flat surface, much like the drawing was, I started to picture it surrounded in a sphere.

"This is just the first step in summoning, if you can master the basic of-" Mira stopped short from the sudden hissing sound coming from the stone.

The dirt drawing of the rune started to trace itself with fiery red magic. It wasn't long before the entire drawing was outlined with magic, the stone beginning to levitate off the ground. The rune itself rose from the ground, expanding into a sphere, twirling around the rock before popping out of existence. There was a soft thud as the stone plopped in front of me, I opened my eyes to look down, and quite surprised it had worked.

"Hey!" I said, sounding very pleased with myself.

"Beginners luck." Mira mumbled, crossing her arms.

"I moved it, didn't I?" I asked, having met her requirements.

"Well this time you have to do it without the rune." Mira said in a matter of fact tone.

Floating down Mira swiped up the stone, holding up to me so I could get a good look at it.

"Had a good look?" Mira asked.

"I guess so." I replied, almost crossed eyed looking at it.

"Good." Mira replied, chucking the stone across the cave. "Now summon this rock, again."

"Is this really necessary?" I asked, not looking forward to the hours of concentration that were sure to follow.

"Look, every pony with a horn magically summons things out of nowhere, but technically they had to have been somewhere. They just know the item so well that they can summon it without thinking half the time, so stop complaining and get to it." Mira replied, laying the hard truth out before me.

Sighing in defeat, I looked over at the stone, trying my best to become familiar with it as best I could. Mira floated past me, heading towards the tunnel that led to Azimuth's Tomb, which had me looking after her.

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously.

"I'm going for a walk, is that alright with you?" Mira asked with a snap.

"But you're floating." I remarked.

I watched as Mira hissed at me, ignoring my words and continued towards the tunnel. I guess any pony would rather be doing anything then watching me stare at a stone for a couple more hours. Although, even having Mira sigh constantly as she hovered around me was more preferable then being left all alone.

Mira drifted down the tunnel, the soft blue glow of her stardust like hair illuminated the walls. Stretching her arms over her head, Mira yawned once again, before coming to cliff expanse that stretched over Azimuth's tomb. There wasn't much to do hear for her, it was just a way to think to herself without having Smolder around. Letting herself float down onto the cliff's ledge, Mira sat at its lip, letting her legs dangle off the side as she stared down into the deep dark abyss. Holding her hands up to her face, watching her markings pulse a soft green, Mira grimaced at them. Hissing angrily at herself, Mira slowly raked her face with her fingers trying to claw out her own self-loathing. Letting her arms drop to her side, she exhaled loudly, looking rather depressed.

"…I'm sorry." Mira whispered.

Holding up her hand, a small green flame danced about, taking shape into a miniature Alicorn mare. Staring at it with a small smile, watching it fizzle in her hand.

Within the darkness the sound sudden sound of scraping echoed in the deep. Mira's head bolted up, a look of worry and fear suddenly about her; the flames in her hand fizzled away. Backing away from the edge of the expanse, Mira levitated into the air once more to rush back towards the tunnel entrance. She floated right into a wall of scales that had her doubling back quickly, hovering back near the cliff's edge as the massive creature towered before her.

"Apep." Mira whispered voice full of fear.

"Mira, what a _sssssurprissssse. Long time no sssssssee_." Apep remarked, holding on the 's' of his word.

Apep hated the light more than any other creature; aside from the Void. For he was one of Nadir's first monsters, a creature made to devour the Arcana, but now severed as the Null's advocate when called upon. His eye melted from the battle long ago against Glow, yet his remaining eyes stared unblinking at Mira.

"I-I-I-I-I-I…" Mira stammered nervously, pulling on her fingers.

"Why _ssssssso tenssssssse?_ " Apep asked, slithering closer to her. "Are you not happy to ssssssssssee me? It's been sssssssssso long."

Mira trembled in her fear before it.

"Nothing to sssssssssay?" Apep asked, venomously. "What a ssssssssstrange placccccccce to find you."

"I w-w-w-was just…" Mira mumbled, watching Apep coil around her. "Thinking."

Apep stopped his slithering, his head slowly lowering down towards Mira; his tongue flicking her face.

"Thinking?" Apep questioned her. "About what?"

"J-J-Just… thinking." Mira replied, shaking all over.

Rearing his head back, Apep's tongue flicked again.

"I bring word from the _Masssssster,_ " Apep began. "Your gift _wasssssss_ greatly _reccccccieved_."

"Gift?" Mira asked in a squeak.

"The Dragon you procured from the realm of light, it _pleasssssssed_ him." Apep explained, coiling around her some more.

"I-I-I-I aim to please." Mira whispered, feeling Apep's scales run across her arm.

"The Massssssssster had thought you dead. Having not sssssssseen you for ssssssssso long." Apep hissed. "I thought differently."

Apep's glossy black eye, being reflected by Mira's soft blue hair, stared menacingly at her. Mira dare not move, afraid that Apep would find it as a show of force and devour her without hesitation; taking great pleasure in watching Mira fear for her life.

"You look different from before." Apep remarked, tilting his head ever so slightly. " _SSSSSSStronger_ even."

"R-R-R-Really?" Mira asked, holding her hands up to her chin; trying her best to stop her shaking. "I don't feel… any stronger."

"Have you been hoarding ssssssssome light?" Apep asked, his coiled body slowly circling her.

"O-O-O-Of course not." Mira said quickly, floating back.

Apep's body suddenly shifted, its coiled body snapping around Mira, causing her to shriek in pain. Pinning her arms at her sides, Apep lowered his head down to her, letting his tongue flick her in the face. Watching her wheeze as she only able to take small breaths at a time; listening to her whimper through each gasp.

"Don't you lie to me! I know of your kind, Arcana, I have eaten enough of your brethren to know that you need the light to _ssssssurvive_." Apep hissed angrily, watching her squirm.

Mira couldn't respond, just barely able to breathe as Apep began to tighten his grip.

"You do not have that Flame Pony to protect you anymore and that wolf won't sssssssave you thissssssss time!" Apep shouted, baring his at her.

Small squeals of pain escaped Mira's throat, unable to take a breath. Tears beginning to run down her face.

"What are you hiding? Could it be _ssssssome_ Will-o'-the- _wissssssp_? Or maybe a dying _sssssstar_ from a time before?" Apep questioned her. "What do you have? Tell me!"

There came a screech that echoed through the cavern, Apep's head whipped around witnessing a sudden explosion of fire above him. The flames morphing into the shape of a blazing phoenix, burning wildly, illuminating the cavern, as it dived upon Apep who hissed violently blinded and burned by the sheer amount of light and fire. The flame shaped phoenix slammed into Apep's face, his body quickly uncoiling from Mira as it tried to secure itself from falling from the cliff expanse. Mira fell limp to the ground. Hissing in pain from the burns, Apep fell back his head hitting against the cliff's edge. With a whip of my wings the fiery phoenix dissipated as I stood upon the snake's pointed snout, an angry scowl strewn across my face.

"She has me!" I shouted at the snake; my Flash Step consuming me.

My horn flashed a brilliant red light, my fire suddenly expanding into a small sun, consuming much of the snake before imploding and breaking apart the cliff face. With a shriek the snake fell into the abyss, its body burning from my flames as it fell down into the dark abyss. Opening my wings I hovered in the air, looking about for where Mira was. I saw a flash of blue that fell into the abyss below me; my only guess was Mira, tucking my wings I dived after her.

"Mira!" I shouted to her.

I sped through the darkness, Mira coming into view. I could see her clutching her arms, as well as her sides, and coughing hoarsely. I reached out my wing, feeling Mira's hand take hold of it. Pulling her onto my back, I fanned open my wings letting myself drift through the air, as Mira clung to my neck, massaging her neck as she wheezed.

"Are you alright?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at her.

"I'll… be alright…" Mira mumbled quietly.

"What was that?" I asked, looking into the blackness below.

"His name… is Apep…" Mira wheezed. "We have to… stop him… from escaping."

"You're kidding right?" I asked, not finding the idea of fighting a snake that sized hoof to fang a good idea.

"If he tells Null… about you… he'll start killing more Void Walkers to find you." Mira explained a sense of urgency in her voice.

I could feel Mira's arm hug me tighter. She wasn't worried about herself as much as she was about the Void Walkers. She still looked very frightened, I could still feel her shaking, and it made me angry to think of how the snake had harmed her. I let my wings carry me down deeper into Azimuth's Tomb, ready to face off against this snake called Apep.

"Apep despises the light." Mira whispered to me.

"Why?" I asked, seeing the black sand at the bottom of the cavern come into view.

"He wasn't made from it. He was born from the spit of Nadir's hate, and he won't hesitate to swallow you whole though." Mira warned, starting to sound better.

"Born from what?" I asked, looking rather disgusted.

We touched down on the black sand, my flames still flaring strong, Mira held onto me tightly; I could sense that she was still very much afraid. I raised my wings a bit higher to shield her from both sides, turning slowly in place hoping to see something in the darkness.

"Smolder…" Mira whispered to me.

"Yeah?" I answered back.

"I don't… deserve a friend like you." Mira whispered once more.

I glanced over my shoulder. I could see her staring back at me, wondering what I was thinking.

"Yes, you do." I said with a smile.

A sudden explosion of sand erupted several feet away from us, Apep's mouth opening wide, lunging for us. All I could think of was protecting Mira from this snake; my magic seemed to understand this as the fangs of Apep struck my shield deflecting his head away from us. Taking several leaps back, I put some distance away from the snake, watching its body writhe around, swinging its tail wildly towards us.

"You're not the Flame Pony I _ssssssaw,_ you are much too _sssssssmall._ " Apep stated, slithering just outside the glow of my fire; his eyes reflecting my flames.

"That's not the _firssssssst_ time I've heard that." I mocked him.

" _Impudenccccccce!_ " Apep hissed in anger. " _Hassssss_ the Arcana not told you about me?"

"Big ugly snake with a lisp, what's to know?" I asked; keeping my eyes trained on it.

The snake was sure to have speed over me. I would need to use my Flash Step to stand a chance of keeping up with it, but I had my magic to work with now. My mind was racing for ideas on how to bring it down, but nothing really stood out. All the time in the Ashen Fields, we never had a problem with snakes, most of the time they liked the warmth we produced, but then again none were as big as this one.

"I will _sssssswallow_ you whole and bring you to the _Masssssssster persssssssonally._ " Apep threatened, retreating in the darkness.

"Do you have a plan?" Mira whispered to me.

"Other than 'don't get eaten', not really." I replied, looking around once more.

Pacing around in a small circle, I strained my ears to hear anything that might give me a clue to where Apep may be. I could feel my fire mounting within me, ready to blast fire the first chance the snake would give me, but I knew it wasn't going to be enough. I was also beginning to understand the pain and anger I needed to feel to produce the sort of magic Mira was teaching me. Channeling my anger over this snake's attack on Mira, I could feel my power rising, but using it to defend her.

There was a second explosion of sand to my right, it hand me turning hard to face it. What I saw was the end of Apep's tail shooting up from the ground, with yet another sound of an explosion of sand erupting behind me. With less than a moment to think, I just thought about being somewhere else. Apep's mouth struck a patch of black sand, missing his target, shaking the dirt from his mouth before looking about. With a small flash, Mira and I reappeared several yards away, having narrowly teleported from being lunch. I felt a large source of my magic disappear, teleporting seemed to be getting easier but it still drained me considerably.

"Does it have any weaknesses?" I asked Mira hopefully.

"Like what?" Mira asked, clutching me tighter.

"I don't know. Loud noises? Weak stomach? Ticklish?" I asked quickly, grasping at ideas.

"Yeah, let's just try and tickle it into submission." Mira scoffed, sounding more like herself.

"You never know." I replied, watching Apep coil himself up.

Flaring my body, I pushed myself into my Flash Step. Mira clung to me, unfazed by my flames, keeping her head down. Apep flicked its tongue at me, before hissing threateningly at me; obviously disturbed by my light. From the light of my flames I noticed the melted eye of the snake this time, having eluded me earlier.

"What's up with its eye?" I asked Mira quietly.

"Your… your Mom melted it." Mira stated slowly.

Her words had taken me aback; I didn't realize that my mother had faced this as well. I thought that it referred to my father as being the other Flame Pony it had seen. It brought up so many questions I wanted to ask Mira but the lowering of Apep's head had me focused once more. Like pressed spring, Apep sprung from his perch, mouth wide to strike once more. Pushing off the sand I slide to the side of its attack, watching Apep plow into the sand, but I failed to notice its tail as it swung through the air after him striking be broadside and sending skipping across the black sand.

I felt dazed from the hit. My Flash Step flaring as I attempted to keep it ignited, struggling to pick myself up. Apep swam across the sea of black sand, darting its way straight towards me, closing the distance quickly. Opening my wings, trying to attempt to fly out his reach, I felt Mira's hand press down against my head as she lifted herself higher. Raising her free hand, a burst of black aura ignited in her hand, sending a shock wave out from us. A sudden forest of black spikes sprung from the black sand dotting the area around us, like a forest needles Apep diverted his approach hissing as he slithered away from the spikes.

"Cool." I said to her; Mira slapped the back side of my head.

"Get moving!" Mira demanded.

The spikes eventually stopped chasing Apep, Mira's magic started to fade causing the spikes to dissolve as well. Apep seemed to realize this as he made a straight shot towards us once more. With my Flash Step burning hot once more, I opened my wings, leaping high into the air and flying away from Apep. Deciding to test the snake, I spat several streams of fire at it, watching it quickly whip from side to side to evade my fire.

"Is any of my magic going to work on it?" I asked aloud, trying to keep the distance between us and the snake.

"Apep isn't magical but you're not fast enough at your current level to cast a spell that will be strong enough to take him out." Mira informed me.

"I guess that just leaves burning it." I muttered, watching Apep easily evade yet another blast of fire.

"You'll have to get close." Mira informed me.

"Not really liking that idea." I replied, watching Apep dive back into the sand below.

I hovered in the air, not knowing how far Apep was capable of leaping from the ground into the air, so I kept my height rather high to be on the safe side. I was wracking my brain for ideas, getting close to Apep was impossible, even with my Flash Step he would beat me in speed hoofs down. Even though I had range for the moment, Apep was able to easily avoid my attacks without much difficulty. With meant that it would come down to a one on one attack, let Apep get close enough and give him everything I got before he got me. Needless to say I did not like this plan.

"Why is that snake so big anyways?" I asked, scanning the black sand for movement.

"Nadir made all his creatures monstrously big." Mira remarked, helping me look around.

"Then why are you so small?" I asked curiously.

"Nadir didn't make me! Azimuth did!" Mira hissed sounding offended.

I lifted my head up, having felt a sudden plan come to mind.

"I have an idea." I said looking over my shoulder.

Apep slithered beneath the sand. Feeling every vibration of the sand, just waiting for the Flame Pony to land once more and give him the chance to strike again. A sudden soft pulse had Apep turning towards its direction, it was stationary. The heartbeat of the Flame Pony was steady to Apep. Before it had been racing, the fight bringing out the fear in the Flame Pony but it seemed rather clam now. Raising itself from the sand, Apep looked towards the Flame Pony that stood on the black sand, its flames low, standing idly by.

"What'sssssssss thisssssss then?" Apep hissed curiously.

"Just waiting for you to show your big dumb face to cast my new spell at you." I said aloud.

"SSSSSSSSpell?" Apep hissed, seeming defensive.

"Mira taught it to me, and I'm going to blow you away with it." I said confidently.

I placed my hoof in the sand, beginning to trace the rune from earlier, carefully drawing each line as quickly as I could. Apep reared up in surprise, not knowing what I was doing but saw that it was not instant. Exploding from the spot, Apep dashed towards me, as I tried not to get distracted by its speed.

" _I have time. I only need to reach it before it hasssss time to finissssssssh."_ Apep thought to itself.

I drew another line; just a few more strokes away before looking up to see Apep just a few yards away. I stepped back in surprise, seeing it so close.

"Too late Flame Pony!" Apep hissed aloud.

Apep leaped towards me, I raised my wing to shield myself from it. A moment a later a giant hand slammed down atop of Apep, pinning it to the ground, nearly flattening it; Apep hissing and coughing from the pain. I lowered my wing, flaring my mane a bit as I turned around to look up at Azimuth reaching over me grasping the giant serpent. My planned involved Mira taking control of Azimuth once more, borrowing a large portion of my power to do so, and trick Apep into getting close enough to spring out trap. Azimuth lifted her arm back up, with Apep firmly in hand, struggling wildly in her grasp attempting to pierce Azimuth with its fangs but had no luck. Apep was face to face with the vacant expression of Azimuth, her giant yellow eyes suddenly opening and sending Apep into a frenzy of fear.

"Releasssssssssse me!" Apep shrieked.

" **THIS IS FOR MY FRIENDS!"** Mira's voice boomed through Azimuth's mouth.

Azimuth's fist clenched with a sickening crunch, Apep recoiled before falling limp with her fist. Slowly opening her hand, I watched as the giant snake slide from her grasp and fell to the floor with a thunderous slam; dead. I glanced up to see Azimuth lowering her arms at her sides, knowing that I needed to get Mira out of Azimuth's body right away before it leeched all of her power away.

Closing my eyes, I took a breath and concentrated. I focused my magic, imagining Mira in my mind. I tried to picture her perfectly, her exact size, her shape, every detail down to the last strands of her hair, thinking of her floating before me. My magic was slowly reacting, I had been in this cave for so long I knew Mira better than any pony; it just had to work. I felt a sudden upheaval of my power, my horn drawing power from my strength and flames; all the while focusing on my image of Mira. That swell of power suddenly subsided, I felt as if I had been running laps with Rainbow Dash again, I was breathing hard, but I still had my eyes closed picturing Mira in my mind. I felt a small hand gently slap the side of my face.

"Not bad." Mira whispered to me.

I opened my eyes. Mira floated before me, a smile across her face, one so genuine that it made me smile wide.

"I guess I'm not a stupid Flame-" I stopped short.

Mira had leaned in, hugging me tightly around the neck. It surprised me, not thinking Mira was one to show affection on such a level but it did make my mane suddenly flare up from embarrassment. I gently patted her with my hoof, awkwardly trying to reciprocate the feeling. She pulled away from me, slapping a bit harder on the face, catching me by surprise as she floated towards the corpse of Apep; this was the Mira I knew best. Mira spat upon Apep's corpse, hissing at one last time, her hands balled into fists letting her feelings of anger for it wash over her one last time. Then I watched Mira take hold of one Apep's fangs and started to jerk it back and forth trying to rip it from its mouth.

"Ummmm…" I hummed in confusion watching her work the fang.

"Don't just stand there, stupid, get the eyeball." Mira ordered me.


	17. Chapter 17: Family and Friends

It took some time to convince Chamomile Tea, Tea's mother, to let her go to the Frozen North with Princess Sapphire; especially on a school night. Even with the long winded speeches given by both Florence and Christie of the many reasons why she should go, Chamomile said that if Tea's father was alright with it, she would be too. During this time Princess Sapphire had written a message to her mother, magically sending it on its way, informing her parents of her return to the Frozen North; whether Tea and the others would be joining her was still in question. With the chariot sure to be dispatched within the hour, it would take the Royal Pegasi Ponies no less than two to three hours to arrive in Manehattan and the inevitable journey back would place them arriving during the late afternoon or early evening.

With Dr. Grey being the deciding factor for Tea's journey to the Frozen North, Christie and Florence insisted that Tea write him a telegram right away, instead of waiting for him to come home later that night. With Christie and Florence ponying up the funds for the one hour delivery of the telegram, the Mail Pony arrived to do his rounds and was offered the task; before any pony could say another word the Mail Pony was off in a shot to fulfill their request.

"We're going to go home and pack! Don't you dare leave without us!" Florence declared, eyeing Tea menacingly; Chapel was already out the door and down the hall.

"They seemed rather convinced that your father will approve of this." Princess Sapphire remarked with surprise.

"That is if Dad is even able to have time to respond. He's usually really busy, especially these last couple of days." Tea replied, looking a little anxious herself.

"I do believe your winter coat is stored in the hall closet dear." Chamomile Tea said aloud from the kitchen.

Tea didn't hesitate to rush back into the hallway, throwing the door open and digging into the closet. It was apparent that Tea was very much excited to go and thought about back for the trip as well.

Over an hour had passed since the telegram went out, Chamomile trying to gently remind them that Tea's father was very busy and would probably need time to think this over. If not for Tea, Chapel, and Florence holding onto their suitcases, every pony seemed relatively curious to what Dr. Grey's answer would be.

"Your father is probably dealing with that one hypochondriac pony again. You know how much time that eats up from your father's day." Chamomile said to Tea, watching Florence and Christie guard the door for even the slightest hint of a letter.

"The chariot should be arriving in the next hour or so." Princess Sapphire mentioned, checking the clock.

Tea was holding onto the lantern, Smolder's flame still flickering within it. If the time had come for Princess Sapphire to leave, Tea would have to come to terms with having to stay behind and wait until she heard about what happened at some point or another. Chamomile Tea was busy preparing some treats for Princess Sapphire to take back to the Frozen North, it was quite generous considering the portions she was packing but she seemed keen on the idea that all four ponies were going to go.

"Come on Mail Pony." Chapel said, staring intensely at the mail slot with Florence leaning in just as close.

The door to the apartment suddenly opened, bopping both Chapel and Florence on the nose, causing them to fall backwards onto their flanks; wincing from the stinging pain. Dr. Grey's head popped around the door, cautious to open it any further having felt the thump from the other side.

"Why are you two so close to the door?" Dr. Gray asked sounding confused.

"Dad!" Tea exclaimed in excitement.

Chapel and Florence got out of the way as Dr. Grey entered the apartment. There was Tea's telegram tucked into his shirt pocket, a pencil tucked behind his ear, and his glorious beard slightly disheveled.

"I thought you would be working late tonight, dear?" Chamomile Tea asked, surprised to see him as well.

"I have Dr. Kelso covering my patients for a few hours." Dr. Grey mentioned, closing the door behind. "I wanted to say goodbye to Tea before she headed out."

Florence and Chapel hugged one another in joy. It was apparent that Dr. Grey was okay with Tea going to the Frozen North. Tea quickly rushed over to Princess Sapphire, placing the lantern in her hooves before running over to her Dad to hug him tightly. Dr. Grey couldn't help but laugh at Tea's enthusiasm over this trip she wanted to take, and reciprocated her hug.

"Now Tea, sweetheart, you have to promise you're going to take careful yourself while you're gone." Dr. Grey began, laying out his conditions to her.

"Of course." Tea said, nodding her head.

"Promise that you'll stay out of trouble, and when you get back you'll make up all the work from the classes you'll miss." Dr. Grey continued.

"Promise." Tea replied.

"Make sure nothing happens to our little Tea, Princess Sapphire." Dr. Grey added, looking up at her.

"I will look after her personally." Princess Sapphire said reassuringly.

"What smells so good, dear?" Dr. Grey asked, sniffing the air.

"I was just making some treats for the girls for their trip up North." Chamomile Tea replied.

"Have you made anything for lunch?" Dr. Grey asked curiously, stepping into the kitchen.

"Nothing for you, if that is what you're asking." Chamomile Tea answered.

"Awwww, Cammy, nothing? I'm starving." Dr. Grey groaned.

"You told me you were working late so I didn't prepare anything for you." Chamomile Tea told him, slapping his hoof away from the girl's bag of cookies.

It was another hour before the chariot had parked itself just outside Tea's apartment complex. A crowd of on looking Manehattan ponies started to gather around to get a better look; wondering who it was for. Traveling down to the lobby, Chamomile Tea and Dr. Grey hugged Tea goodbye, wishing her a safe travel and fun. Florence and Chapel were already boarding the chariot, squealing with delight at the regal way the chariot looked and how they were going to be the guests of a Princess. After a minute long hug for both her parents, Tea picked up her lantern and headed for the chariot with Princess Sapphire following up behind her. Dozens of paparazzi ponies had cameras out, taking as many pictures as they could of Princess Sapphire; while other ponies shrieked in disbelief over the sight of a real Princess being just a few hoofsteps away.

"Remember to zip up your jacket when you go out in the snow, dear!" Chamomile Tea shouted from the entrance of the lobby.

"Stay away from any colts while you're there! If you come home with a colt I'll disown you!" Dr. Grey shouted to her.

"Earl!" Chamomile Tea hissed, elbowing him in his side.

"Remember I can make it look like an accident! No pony will ever know the difference at the morgue!" Dr. Grey shouted again.

Tea could feel her face flushing. Waving goodbye to her parents from the chariot's window, Princess Sapphire signaled the Royal Pegasi Ponies to take off. The chariot lurched forward, the cries and shrieks of on looking ponies filled the air as the chariot sped off down the street. With a sudden jolt the chariot was airborne, flying past buildings, reaching to the rooftops before clearing the city skyline and out into the open air.

"I can't believe it! We're going to the Frozen North!" Chapel shrieked in indescribable joy.

"Were your parents alright with you going?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously, not having thought to ask this question.

"I told my parents I was staying with Florence for a few days, to study for a midterm." Chapel said, looking quite proud.

"I told my parents I was staying with Chapel for a couple of days, to work on a group project." Florence said, looking just as shrewd.

"Wouldn't you parents discover that neither of you are where you claimed to be?" Princess Sapphire asked, seeing a flaw in their logic.

"That's when we tell them we decided to stay at Tea's place." Florence said to her.

"But wouldn't-" Princess Sapphire began again but saw Tea waving her hoof to let it go.

"So how long will it take to get to the Frozen North?" Chapel asked curiously, glancing out the window to see landscape below.

"It will take about two to three hours to get there; if the weather remains to be fair. If not, then perhaps four to five." Princess Sapphire replied.

"That long?" Florence asked, almost with a whine.

"It is much faster than riding the train, hiking up to Yakyakistan, and braving the frozen tundra to reach Castle Fjord." Princess Sapphire reassured her.

"Well what are we going to do in the meantime?" Chapel asked.

"What do you mean?" Princess Sapphire asked, unsure of what she meant.

"What do I mean? What do you normally do when you have a three hour chariot ride?" Chapel asked.

"I ponder the questions that the most insightful ponies of our age have posed and try to answer them with my own experiences; applying it to own philosophical ideals." Princess Sapphire remarked.

Every pony fell silent, awkwardly staring at her as if she was about to yell 'gotcha' or just kidding' but the punchline never came.

"Let's talk about Dawson from apartment nine-eight-nine." Florence suggested.

"Him again?" Tea groaned rolling her eyes.

"Come on, Tea, you know Dawson is the hottest colt in your whole building." Chapel stated, prying at her.

"But he smells like cheese all the time. Why does he smell that way?" Tea asked, looking bewildered.

"I don't know but whenever I'm out grocery shopping I can't help but think of him whenever I'm passing the dairy aisle." Florence remarked dreamily.

"Who is this Dawson that smells of cheese, and why is he revered as the hottest?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously.

* * *

General Hearth, recently retired, who had just been recently reunited with his family, sat inside the parlor of the Sleet Estate with Jewel Kiln, his younger sister and the rest of his siblings. With the inclusion of the Hearth Family all those years ago, the Sleet family made great strides to make their home more hospitable for them by getting fire proof furniture. Drake Kiln, along with their daughter Lily and their son Henrik sat beside Jewel who still clung to Hearth, while Tinder and Bloom sat on the love seat to Hearth's left with Samson sitting on the floor in front of them. Coal and Scoria sat opposite of Heath. Scoria was holding Coal's hoof, trying to comfort him, having just experienced such a trying event.

"Why is Mom hugging that pony?" Lily asked in a whisper to her father Drake.

"He's probably our real Dad." Henrik whispered to her, with a serious tone.

Drake bopped Henrik on the head, watching him clutch his head with an audible 'ow', as Lily looked rather worried.

"He's your Uncle." Drake said to them.

"Really?" Lily asked, looking rather unsure.

"Great, another one." Henrik mumbled, not at all excited to hear this.

Jewel finally pulled herself away from Hearth, watching him smile warmly at her as she held his hoof in her own.

"I really can't believe it's you, Warrick. I just can't." Jewel said in amazement.

"He stole Warrick's name!" Samson said aloud, pointing at him.

"Your cousin was named after him, this is your uncle, your father's older brother, General Warrick Hearth of the Ashen Fields." Samson's mother Bloom told him.

"Retired." Hearth added.

"Seriously?" Tinder asked, not sounding surprised at the notion of retirement.

"So you're the pony Uncle Coal is always telling us about!" Henrik shouted in excitement.

"Is it true that you fell a hundred spiders in one blast of fire?" Henrik asked rearing up onto the lip of the couch to speak with him directly.

"Is it true that you wrestled with the Serpent of the Dark Marsh with nothing but your teeth?" Samson asked, hurrying over.

"What have you been telling them?" Hearth asked, glancing up at Coal.

"I was… embellishing some of your old war stories... if only to encourage them." Coal said, looking a bit flustered.

"Embellishment is hardly the word." Scoria remarked, with a scoff.

"Scoria!" Coal hissed, his mane flaring from embarrassment. "There are a lot of bedtimes and some stories needed to be… expanded upon to fit the requirements of a young colts."

General Hearth chuckled to himself, feeling a sense of peace wash over him, being surrounded by his family. Feeling the small hooves of Samson and Henrik pressing against his leg, Hearth was more interested to what his family had been doing since they had left the Ashen Fields, but it would seem he was out numbered on whose story they wished to hear first.

"I'm not sure where to begin." Hearth said honestly, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "There is just so much to tell."

"Start with the story about the Last Orc and how you saved every pony from the army of spiders!" Henrik shouted eagerly.

"Settle down, Henrik." Drake said authoritatively.

"Yes, sir." Henrik mumbled, sitting back down on the ground.

"I'd actually like to get to know my niece and nephews a little better." Hearth remarked with interest.

"I'm Samson, I like ice cream!" Samson introduced himself proudly; watching his father Tinder roll his eyes.

"I'm Henrik, I also like ice cream!" Henrik jumped in, trying to sound proud too.

Hearth glanced over at the little filly in Drake's arms, Lily Kiln was trying to hide behind her mother Jewel to avoid catching his eyes.

"This little one is Lily, she's rather shy with every pony." Jewel introduced her.

"Does she like ice cream too?" Hearth asked with a smile.

"Yes…" Lily mumbled, still trying to hide herself.

"You mentioned Ashely earlier," Coal spoke up, finding some courage to speak to his brother. "How is our niece?"

"She's married now, has been for quite a while." Hearth began, trying to lean his head out further to catch a glimpse of Lily, but she shied away.

"To one of your soldiers, I remember right?" Tinder asked curiously.

"Dart Horizon, yes, he was under my command when they approached me about their intention to marry. I had no ill feelings towards it. Horizon was a strong and loyal colt. I felt that she had made a fine choice." Hearth added, turning to speak to him.

"We have another cousin?" Henrik asked in surprise.

"Yes, but she is much older then you." Hearth remarked, patting him on the head. "Ashely had a filly, a pegasi named Ray Horizon; she is my granddaughter."

"What is she to us then?" Samson asked, trying to work it out in his head.

"She would most likely be your first cousins once removed." Jewel stated thinking about it.

"What?" Samson and Henrik replied together in confusion.

"She's family. That's all you need to know." Coal pointed out.

"You must have been so excited Warrick." Bloom spoke up.

"Ray has been one of the very few blessings I've had in recent memory." Hearth said lovingly. "I had hoped that she would have followed a much different path for her future, but she has followed in my hoof steps and has become the new General of the Ashen Fields."

There was sudden surprised gasp from every pony in the room at this news. No more so then Henrik and Samson who seemed positively livid at the idea of having a cousin who commanded such respect and power.

"Replace you? How old is she, Warrick?" Scoria asked unable to believe his words.

"She will be turning nineteen this fall." Hearth replied with a smile.

"She is only eighteen years of age? How did that happen? What qualifies her to take up such a position at such a young age?" Scoria remarked in disbelief.

"It is a very long story, going even further back to the Mad King's return." Hearth thought back, trying to find a good place to start telling his story.

As Hearth thought, he noticed the sudden hush of every pony in the room at the mention of the Mad King. He could see every pony looking rather pale at the very memory of him.

"I would also like to add that the Mad King was defeated and thrown back into the Void." Hearth promptly added, hoping to put every pony at rest.

"Are you sure, Warrick?" Bloom asked, sounding very uneasy.

"I was there when it happened. He is trapped once more." Hearth said confidently.

"How did he escape?" Coal asked, still sounding rather unnerved.

"There was a Void mirror, used by Queen Sunbeam to enter the Void, that the Mad King used to reenter Equestria. His return would have spelled disaster for all but his son stood to oppose with the help of both Canterlot and Equestria." Hearth stated, giving some bullet points.

"Which of the twins opposed him?" Tinder asked.

"Neither, the Mad King was using them to carry out his biddings. It was his youngest son, a colt born nearing the end of the war, Smolder; that fought against him." Hearth replied.

"We had no idea that the Mad King had sired another son." Scoria said looking surprised.

"He must been just a year old when the Mad King was thrown into Void, his mother, the Queen, left shortly after. Luckily he did grow up with the cruelty of his father, but instead was raised by Wingston." Hearth said, thinking back on such days.

"We had heard that the Ashen Fields had a new King, we all figured it was one of the twins. How did Smolder acquire the throne and not his elder brothers?" Coal asked sounding very interested.

Hearth paused for a moment. His memory of the Twins were not all good, there were times where their own brand of cruelty had him judging them harshly, but not all the blame could be placed upon them when factoring in the Mad King's demands of them. It wasn't until their selfless act of sacrificing themselves to the Void to prevent Smolder from doing so had shown Hearth that they truly hadn't become like their father, but instead retained enough love in their hearts to protect what truly mattered to them.

"Wick and Pyre were… unfortunate casualties in the battle during the Mad King's return. They were lost to Void along with the Mad King." Hearth stated, trying to word it the best he could.

"Unbelievable." Drake said in disbelief.

"That must have been so hard for Smolder." Bloom said sympathetically.

"I would very much like to say that with the Mad King's banishment, Smolder's rise to the throne was uneventful, but it was the just beginning of his and all of our problems." Hearth said with a sigh.

"There were rumors of Lord Tundra and Lady Frost staying in the Ashen Fields for the sole purpose of fighting a dragon of sorts." Tinder mentioned.

"A dragon?" Henrik and Samson asked together in surprise.

"It would seem that the Last Orc was not entirely alone. It had a son, a son that looked to finish what his father had started. Raising yet again another army of spiders, one nearly five times the size of the army I had faced many years ago. With it, the Elder Dragon Char from our ancient lore was awakened to be used against us in its quest to obliterate us once and for all." Hearth explained.

There were horrified looks from all the adult ponies while Samson and Henrik looked absolutely excited to hear this story.

"What happened, Uncle Hearth?" Samson asked energetically.

"How big was the dragon?" Henrik asked shaking Hearth's leg.

"What was your strategy to defend against both spider and dragon, Warrick?" Coal asked, almost as interested in knowing what happened next as his two nephews.

"Truth be told, I never saw the dragon." Hearth said, with a chuckle.

"What!" Samson and Henrik shouted in disbelief.

"The night of Smolder's Coronation, we were beset by the Orc, who had snuck into the castle by means of the old North Tower. Once inside he found Wingston, Burning Sand, Fleece and myself off guard, and attacked us." Hearth explained, looking at all their concerned faces.

"Did you win?" Samson asked quickly.

"No." Hearth said with a smile. "I didn't."

"Did you die?" Henrik asked.

Drake bopped Henrik on the head once more, even amongst Hearth's sudden laughter at his question.

"I suppose almost did. I fought the Orc, but I wasn't as quick as I used to be and it made me pay for it. I woke up in the Infirmary the next day, I remember seeing Ray there, and talking to her about all the things I never go to say, but always meant to." Hearth said, thinking back on it.

"What the others?" Coal asked with concern.

"We had all survived the attack. A gift of Savanah Sun from Princess Sheva to Smolder had helped us through the worst of it. I'm sorry to say that my injuries were so severe at the time that I could not lead our armies, or even awake up for that matter." Hearth explained, much to the sad groans coming from Samson and Henrik.

"We had no idea, Warrick." Jewel said sympathetically.

"When I had finally awoken, the battle had been won, and the Orc had been slain. Amongst the injured ponies I lay next to, they told me of the events that had occurred, the power of the Elder Dragon, and the bravery of my granddaughter, who had led them into that fight." Hearth said with a smile.

"She was named your successor during your absence then?" Scoria asked, trying to put two and two together.

"It was Smolder's decision to allow Ray the opportunity to command. Smolder was always a very a judge of character, especially after the friends he brought to help save us again and again. There were so many stories, so many different ponies telling me of how she had stepped up and really brought them together to face this threat. In the end, I couldn't help but realize that I wasn't meant to this sort of thing anymore. That like Smolder, it was time for some pony else to lead our Kingdom to the future it so desperately fought for. So I stepped down, in front of every pony, declaring Ray my successor." Hearth said, sounding very at peace with it.

"Does that mean that Ray fought in the battle, then?" Henrik asked suddenly.

"She did." Hearth replied.

"So we can ask her what happened, and get the whole story!" Samson shouted in excitement.

"What happened to the dragon, Hearth, surely you must that much?" Bloom asked, looking interested.

"From what I've been told, Smolder opened a portal to the Void, one so large it could have swallowed Castle Char and then some. The Dragon was pulled into it… along with Smolder." Hearth said, sounding rather dismayed.

"The King was pulled with it?" Coal asked in utter shock.

"I-I-I don't know all the details. I came here with the ponies Smolder trusted to help him save his home, to save all of us, and I know that they are doing everything they can to save him." Hearth stated.

"Can he be saved? I thought that once a pony was thrown into the Void it is impossible to return?" Tinder asked looking confused.

"They are attempting to find out more about the Void, so that they can open the Void again and get him out. I believe that is what their plan is." Hearth said, not looking too sure.

"A risk like that is unacceptable. The possibility of the Mad King or even something worse coming through is too high of a risk to place upon Equestria." Scoria stated, not liking that idea at all.

"Surely you don't mean to leave the King trapped in such a horrid place for all eternity now do you?" Bloom asked in surprise.

"If it meant that Equestria was safeguarded, then yes, it is small price to pay when measured up to the countless lives that could be lost." Scoria replied.

"If there was a way to safely get the King out, it is worth trying, isn't it?" Tinder asked.

"Nothing like this has ever been attempted before, it is hard to say if there is a safe way of doing it." Coal spoke up.

"Smolder." Hearth said simply.

"What?" Coal asked, looking to him.

"He always wanted to be called Smolder. He never liked it when any pony called him 'my King' or 'my Lord', he always insisted on being called Smolder." Hearth explained.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Scoria asked, not making heads or tails of his words.

"These ponies are not here to save a King, they are here to save their friend Smolder. A friend who has placed himself second to every little problem that his Kingdom has faced, and has been rewarded with pain and loss. I don't think it's a question of 'if' we should get him out, but 'why' we should." Hearth explained.

"So, for a friend, every pony in Equestria should be put at risk? Why?" Scoria asked.

"Because he is family." Hearth replied.

"A friend is not-" Scoria began but Hearth continued on.

"Much like here, in the House of Sleet, who has accepted you as family, Smolder had accepted every Flame Pony in his Kingdom, every pony that has offered him their friendship as his family. Smolder has made a lot of friends, friends that consider him family, and these are the very same ponies that are convening here in the Frozen North to find a way to bring him home." Hearth explained.

It was apparent that every pony knew what Hearth was getting at. That a friend need not be family to be family, that love, compassion, and loyalty was enough to bring ponies together and consider themselves to be a family.

"Uncle Hearth is good at talking." Lily said aloud.

This eased the tension of the room, having nearly every pony laugh out loud. Remembering the long boring lectures Hearth had given most of them in times before, and how long winded he was then. It didn't change the fact that Hearth was right, that family was a good enough reason to do something so crazy as to open the Void.


	18. Chapter 18: Branching Paths

The guest rooms within Castle Fjord were not made to accommodate an Ice Pony, or even a Flame Pony, but thoughtfully designed to house any normal pony that happened to visit or got caught in a blizzard. Every pony got their own room, allowing them ample space as well as time to make themselves at home, having Spike stop by each room to kick start the fireplace to offer them a warm evening. Twilight was busy unpacking all of her books concerning Ice Pony History as well as the few manuscripts referencing the Void. Spike on the other claw was sitting near the roaring fire, warming his scales as he heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

"Don't get too comfortable Spike; we've still got a lot of work to do." Twilight mentioned to him.

"How exactly are we supposed to help Fireball anyways?" Spike asked, looking unclear.

"Well, from what we know, there is a lantern that Tea Herbal has in her possession that contains a flame from Smolder. This, in theory, could open the portal once more and give us a chance to bring him back." Twilight explained to him.

"So why did we come all the way to the Frozen North if the portal is all the way back at the Ashen Fields?" Spike asked.

"We don't know all that much about the Void, opening it up again could prove to be dangerous, considering it swallowed up the Elder Dragon without much difficulty. Princess Sapphire has been doing some research here about the Void and we're here to learn as much as we can and come up with a plan." Twilight informed him.

"What if we don't come up with anything? What if it's too dangerous to open up the Void again and Fireball is stuck there forever?" Spike asked, sounding rather anxious.

"If there is anything I've learned about Smolder, it's that he's rather unpredictable and might just fumble his way out without our help." Twilight remarked, trying to ease Spike's nerves.

A knock thumped through the door of the room.

"Come in." Twilight said aloud.

Chancellor Stone head appeared through the half open door.

"Forgive the intrusion, but Princess Sapphire has just arrived." Chancellor Stone announced.

* * *

Within the Main Hall of Castle Fjord stood Tea Herbal, Florence Gale, and Christie Chapel, shivering something awful as they clung to one another for warmth. Princess Sapphire stood off to the side, giving direction to the Royal Guards to acquire more basins to improve the heat of the room to better suit her guests. Even with their winter coats, the cold was proving to be a real damper on their excitement, having stepped hoof in the Ice Pony Kingdom. Although their eyes darted around the room to take in all that there was to see, their teeth would not stop chattering from the cold.

"I do apologize for the discomfort." Princess Sapphire remarked awkwardly watching them shiver.

"Perhaps I could be of some help?" A voice called out.

From the left wing of the Main Hall strode a rather handsome Flame Pony colt, decorated in silver armor, trimmed with gold, his hide a soft grey and flames a rose red. His cutie mark bore the picture of a pile of logs lit aflame, a reference to his heritage. The colt approached the shivering ponies, flaring his mane just a bit to offer them warmth. Chapel almost hugged the Flame Pony as she quickly moved up alongside of him trying to warm herself. Tea and Florence were not far behind, crowding near him for warmth, as the colt chuckled to himself.

"Captain Hearth, it's nearly seven o'clock, shouldn't you be heading home by now?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously.

"My Lady, Commander Sleet has taken a personal day, I took the initiative to ensure that all field reports were delivered to the Council before ending my shift." Captain Hearth replied, bowing his head to her.

"Th-Th-Th-Thanks C-C-C-Celestia y-y-y-you're here." Florence stuttered, still very cold.

From the west wing several Royal Ice Pony Soldiers were wheeling out large golden basins, setting them up around the Main Hall, throwing in logs of wood and oil soaked rags. One by one the basins were lit, providing even more light to the hall while providing noticeable warmth to the area. It was still rather cold, but it seemed to be enough for Tea and the others to stop shivering.

"Have the ponies from Ponyville arrived yet? " Princess Sapphire asked, glancing around.

"There was talk of a group of ponies arriving earlier today, my Lady, I'm sure that they are the ones you speak of." Captain Hearth replied.

"Snowflake, darling!" A voice rang out.

Princess Sapphire flinched at these words. Her face slightly flushed. Tea already recognized the voice as being Sapphire's mother, Lady Frost, as Chapel and Florence stared wide eyed and mouth agape at the Queen of the Ice Ponies quickly approaching them.

"Mother, hi." Princess Sapphire said with an awkward smile.

Tea watched as Lady Frost scooped up Princess Sapphire in her arms, hugging her tightly as she used many different words to describe how much she had missed her.

"It's so good to have you home, sweetheart. How was your trip? Are these your new friends?" Lady Frost asked happily, setting her down.

"Mom!" Princess Sapphire hissed, face flushing even more.

"My Lady." Captain Hearth said respectfully, bowing his head to her.

Tea followed suit, bowing her head as she nudged Chapel to do the same, who in turn, jabbed Florence to bow her head as well.

"Captain Hearth, I'm surprised to see you here." Lady Frost remarked.

"I was just about to end my shift, my Lady." Captain Hearth replied.

"Did no pony tell you? Your Uncle has come for a visit." Lady Frost asked, looking surprised.

"I appreciate you telling me this, my Lady, but I see all of my Uncle's when I return home every day." Captain Hearth replied, trying not to seem ungrateful.

"I was referring to your Uncle from the Ashen Fields, Captain, your father's elder brother, General Hearth." Lady Frost informed him.

"Thee General Hearth?" Captain Hearth asked, looking very surprised.

"I'm sure that General Sleet personally escorted him to his home earlier today, I was under the impression you were with them." Lady Frost stated, looking rather curious.

"Excuse me, my Lady." Captain Hearth said quickly, eager to get home.

Captain Hearth took a step before stopping short; quickly turning back to Princess Sapphire he bowed his head to her, Lady Frost, and the three ponies before rushing off to the barracks.

"So it is true that the ponies from Ponyville have arrived, Mother?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously.

"Of course, dear. Just as you requested, we have the Meeting Room set up for you." Lady Frost said, fussing over Sapphire's cloudy mane.

"Should we just wait here then?" Tea asked, feeling so small in such a big castle.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I nearly forgot about your little friends, Snowflake! They are so cute!" Lady Frost remarked, approaching Tea, Florence, and Chapel.

"Mom!" Princess Sapphire shouted in embarrassment and protest.

Lady Frost hugged each pony, much to the bliss of Florence and Chapel who were star struck with her beauty and regal status, but Tea was more or less embarrassed for Sapphire who covered her face to save herself from her mother's social butterfly approach to new ponies.

"I tell you our little Snowflake used to never have any friends over, but after that whole ordeal in the Ashen Fields she has more over then I can count! So what can I call you girls?" Lady Frost asked, looking around at the three of them.

"I'm Tea Herbal, and this is Christie Chapel. That is Florence Gale, and we just want to thank you for having us here." Tea said as politely as she could.

"Oh, Sapphire your friend is so polite!" Lady Frost said gleefully.

" _Kill me._ " Princess Sapphire muttered, her hooves still hiding her face.

"Don't pull on your face, dear, it will give you wrinkles." Lady Frost said flatly to her.

"Your castle is so pretty! I can't believe we're talking with an actual Queen! This is like the best day ever!" Chapel blurted out, unable to restrain herself any longer.

"Does the King really rule the Kingdom, or does he just take all the credit while you do all the work behind the scenes?" Florence asked, finding her own resolve breaking.

"My, what sweet ponies." Lady Frost said humbly, covering her mouth with her hoof.

Lady Frost leaned in close to them, her face stern while her eyes narrowed.

"This Kingdom would have gone for a hay ride along time ago if not for me. Just remember that colts are dolts, mares do all the work." Lady Frost whispered to them.

"Right!" Florence and Gale whispered back; already inspired by Lady Frost's demeanor.

"Alright let me escort you to the Meeting Room so that we can get this underway." Lady Frost said happily.

"Where's Father?" Princess Sapphire asked a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"I'm sorry Snowflake; your father is still dealing with some of the Noble Ponies. He wanted at least one of us to welcome you home and he drew the short straw. He'll see you tonight, I'm sure of it." Lady Frost replied encouragingly.

Tea could see a hint of sadness in Sapphire's face. It was obvious that a King would have responsibilities to attend to, but even so it seemed to hurt Sapphire on some level not to see him. Almost like a switch, Sapphire was back to her confident self, looking rather determined as she followed along with the others to the Meeting Room.

The Meeting Room was not the Throne Room as it was for the Ashen Fields; it instead was a rather large circular area that had several levels of seats for every pony to sit. It was reminiscent of the Throne Room in Castle Char, as it did have some half circle levels to sit upon but this was more to accommodate at least a hundred ponies. Even so, this room was for Noble Ponies mostly, the real Council Room where Lord Tundra was in right now would be where all the Lord and Ladies gather to speak of problems or ventures while the Throne remained ceremonial in the Kingdom of Ice Ponies. Within the center of the circular room sat a rather large crystal upon a circular table, it had a mysterious glow within it that seemed magical.

Upon entering the room Princess Sapphire saw Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Spike sitting all together on the bottom row patiently waiting for them to arrive. Although, when every pony caught sight of her they instantly got to their hooves to rush over to her with excited voices. It wasn't long before they saw Tea, Florence, and Chapel standing behind her and immediately greeted them as well.

"Do you have bodyguards now?" Rainbow Dash asked playfully; motioning towards Chapel and Florence.

"These are my friends, Christie Chapel and Florence Gale, their nurse ponies like me." Tea introduced them.

"What are they doing here, then?" Rainbow Dash asked again.

"They are here by my request, as are the rest of you." Princess Sapphire replied in a take charge manner. "Every pony please take a seat so we can begin."

Lady Frost raised her wing, herding every pony back to the lower level of the seating area. Sapphire approached the table, placing both the lantern and the metal seal down, and looking around the room expectantly. Several seconds went by of dead silence, while Sapphire continued to look about the room as if some pony was supposed to just show up out of nowhere.

"Where is he?" Princess Sapphire asked, looking towards her mother.

"I'm sure he'll be along any minute, dear." Lady Frost said reassuringly.

"Who are waiting for?" Spike asked curiously.

The door handle clinked, swinging slowly open, as the flank of Court Wizard Floe appeared from behind the door. Every pony looked on at Floe who seemed to be dragging a rather large chest, nearly three times his size, with him by the teeth, magically levitating several books and rolled up scrolls above him. For such a small colt, he seemed to be faring well, but he did look rather exhausted.

"Where have you been?" Princess Sapphire snapped at him.

" _Where have I been?_ " Floe mimicked her voice but rather nasally and poorly.

"You should have had this all prepared before I got here." Princess Sapphire scolded him.

"I've actually got responsibilities, you know, unlike some ponies that run off and get married." Floe said flatly.

"Is one of those responsibilities your personal hygiene? Because you're neglecting that as well." Princess Sapphire shot back.

"You want a piece of me, Snow Cone?" Floe shouted angrily, his horn brimming with magic.

"You're so small I don't think you can afford for me to take a piece out of your sorry flank!" Princess Sapphire shouted back, horn glowing brilliantly.

There came a sharp whistle from Lady Frost that rang so loud it nearly hurt every pony's ears. It got the attention of Princess Sapphire and Flow who pointed out both of them, giving them one hay of a stare before both of them backed off from their fight.

"What's going on?" Chapel asked curiously, leaning over to Lady Frost for answers.

"You could say it is a sibling quarrel." Lady Frost whispered to her.

"I didn't know Princess Sapphire had a little brother." Tea whispered in surprise.

"Oh no, dear, she doesn't, but they act very much like a brother and sister would." Lady Frost informed her.

Floe grumbled under his breath, smoothing out the scrolls upon the table while stacking a couple of books at the other end. Sapphire was avoiding eye contact with him as she dug through the chest to retrieve some maps and loose leaf pages of notes strewn about the bottom.

"Obviously." Applejack remarked.

"Okay, so this is Floe the Court Wizard of the Castle Fjord." Princess Sapphire started off, introducing him to every pony.

"They already know who I am, Snow Cone. God, you're so dense." Floe said rolling his eyes with a sigh.

At this point, Sapphire's eye had acquired a nasty twitch, having reached her breaking point faster than any pony had seen before. In one motion, Sapphire lifted Floe off the ground with her arm and tossed him into the chest before slamming the lid shut. There was a noticeable click of the latch that kept the chest from opening again.

"Lady Frost! Lady Frost! Did you see what she did to me? Punish her! Get me out of this stupid chest!" Floe shouted from inside, the chest softly thumping from his attempts to lift the lid.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"These sorts of things work themselves out on their own." Lady Frost remarked.

"Like I was saying before, Floe has been helping me with my research into the Void for a few years now and I've gathered some rather interesting bits of information." Princess Sapphire carried on.

"Ha! You couldn't find you flank with a map and a flashlight! I did all the real work!" Floe shouted from inside the chest, it was mostly muffled but every pony could make out what he was saying.

Sapphire kicked the chest with left back leg, watching the chest lurch backwards from her.

"Hey!" Floe shouted angrily, still trying to get free.

"From what I have gathered from my brief, but important, findings in the Ashen Fields; I feel confident in some of my earlier hypothesizes." Princess Sapphire continued.

"Those were my ideas!" Floe's muffled voice shouted.

"What sort of hypothesizes, Princess?" Twilight asked curiously.

"For a while now I was working under the notion that there was more than one Obelisk in Equestria. I was proven right when I went searching for the one that was stolen from us and brought back to the Ashen Fields." Princess Sapphire answered.

"How did you get your hooves on their Obelisk in the first place?" Applejack asked curiously, raising her hoof.

"It was given to us by some of brethren researchers in the Ashen Fields, a short time before the Mad King declared war with Equestria. We kept it here for safe keeping, but didn't study it in any respect until I put forward some interest into its origins." Princess Sapphire replied.

"I was already studying it before you showed up!" Floe shouted again.

"You weren't even born yet! Stop lying!" Princess Sapphire shouted kicking the chest again.

"Well… I would of if I was around!" Floe shouted childishly.

"So you're saying that there are more of those giant pillars things out there? Somewhere in Equestria, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"When Smolder had told me that the ruined mess of iron in his room was a Void Mirror, I was surprised that such a relic was still around." Princess Sapphire explained, holding up a rather old etching of a pony and a shadow on opposite sides of a circle.

"Is that a portal?" Rarity asked curiously.

"That is what I thought at first, but I would put my faith on it being a Void Mirror. If we are to say it is, then it would fall into my next theory of these Void creatures having contact, and even visits from ponies." Princess Sapphire continued.

"Ponies would willingly go to the Void?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"I theorized that the Void was not such a bad place to be way back when!" Floe shouted from inside the chest; craving some recognition.

"It can be said that the Void creatures and ponies had a mutual relationship, some interactions, but nothing on the scale of the portal we saw swallowing the Great Dragon Char." Princess Sapphire elaborated.

"Did you bring me back a scale of the Elder Dragon?" Floe asked aloud.

"No." Princess Sapphire replied back.

"You're a jerk!" Floe shouted, sounding rather pouty.

"So, what you're saying is that these Obelisks's were made for a certain purpose, right?" Rarity asked, trying to piece things together.

"I originally thought that the purpose of these Obelisk's were to bring about the end of Equestria. Thanks to that dork Smolder, who decided to use it, my theory was proven false." Princess Sapphire remarked.

"Who's Smolder?" Floe's muffled voice asked.

"He's the new King of the Ashen Fields, sweetheart, he's currently trapped in the Void!" Lady Frost shouted aloud for him to hear her.

"Didn't you marry that pony? I guess he rather throw himself in the Void then spend his life with you!" Floe shouted, laughing hysterically.

Sapphire bucked the chest rather hard, watching it lift off the ground and slam back down, but Floe was still laughing inside.

"So what were they supposed to do in the first place?" Pinkie Pie asked, tilting her head.

"So far, all I can tell is that it was meant to open a very large portal. Although, it seems that it takes a great amount of power to get them working." Princess Sapphire continued.

"Is that little flame going to be enough to open the portal again?" Fluttershy asked curiously, pointing to the lantern.

"For the meantime, this flame will be safely guarded until such a time where we will come up with a system of increasing its size to meet the necessary level to power the Obelisks in the Ashen Fields. For the time being, I want to move on to this." Princess Sapphire replied, picking up the metal seal from the table.

"That's the coin you went gaga over!" Spike shouted, pointing at it.

"That's… right." Princess Sapphire replied, slowly; unsure if that was an accurate retelling of her accounts. "Smolder had left me a memory, implanted within this seal, and intended for me to find it. Much like his own visions, it just took me a while to trigger that memory to activate."

"How come you were able to see it?" Applejack asked curiously.

"I beg your pardon?" Princess Sapphire asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, you said that Smolder's dormant magic was reacting to objects tied to his family. How come you're able to see it?" Twilight asked, thinking about it.

"Well that's not really important to discuss right now, the important thing is that we-" Princess Sapphire began.

"I know!" Lady Frost chimed in.

"Mom!" Princess Sapphire hissed, flushing a deep purple.

"Our little Sapphire performed a spiritual reading with Smolder during his Coronation party. The acts are considered to be rather intimate as it allows the caster to peer into the other pony's soul. Which in turn magically, spiritually, and you could say physically links them together." Lady Frost explained, feeling rather proud of her explanation.

"Am I going to be an Uncle, then?" Floe asked from the chest.

There was a sudden wave of giggling coming from every pony as Sapphire's face was bright purple, kicking the chest repeatedly; mortified by this. Tea couldn't help but laugh as well; it was almost nice to not be the center of all the Smolder teasing for once.

"If I could continue without being interrupted about… inconsequential thing?" Princess Sapphire asked rhetorically.

"Of course dear." Lady Frost said happily.

"What did Smolder say exactly?" Twilight asked, trying to help Sapphire put things back on track.

Sapphire held onto the metal seal in her hoof, closing her eyes for a moment, her horn starting to glow. Turning her head she flicked a small orb of light towards the glowing rock, it was absorbed, turning the rock into a sudden light shade of blue. A sudden ray of blue light fanned up over every pony's head, revealing a ghostly image of Smolder, looking rather beaten up, and exhausted.

"I wanna see! Let me out!" Floe shouted angrily.

Every pony listened to Smolder's message. Tea, Florence, and Gale had heard it before but the spectacle was so cool to look at that they seemed riveted. With the message finished, the blue light retreated back into the rock, before returning to its normal glowing state.

"So Smolder believes that there are more Obelisk's out there as well." Rarity remarked.

"This is why I need you ponies to help me find them." Princess Sapphire replied.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The latch on the chest had finally come loose from Floe's constant thrashing, popping open; Floe tumbled out looking rather out of breath from his struggles.

"I… had… come… up… with… plans…" Floe started to wheeze, trying to earn the spotlight.

"Plans to visit each of these possible locations of where the Obelisk's might be." Princess Sapphire finished watching Floe try to breathe.

"So you want us to check out each of these locations, then?" Twilight asked.

"I would have each of you break up into three teams and travel to each one in hopes of finding them." Princess Sapphire elaborated.

"Splitting up doesn't sound like a bad idea, we'd cover more ground that way and save a whole hay of a lot of time." Applejack remarked.

"Where would we even start to look?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I… had scheduled a… expedition… to one of the… locations… some time ago." Floe began, still trying to steady his breath. "It is located near the Tenochtitlan Basin."

"That's a jungle area." Princess Sapphire clarified.

"So why haven't you gone to check it out yet?" Spike asked curiously.

"Some pony didn't clean his study like I told him to and was grounded." Lady Frost said, eyeing Floe who looked rather peeved with her.

"There is a pony already there searching for the Obelisks, we can send word that representatives of our research team will be coming to assist in its discovery. We also have strong leads on where the other two sets of Obelisks are, but we haven't started any legitimate research into finding them." Princess Sapphire elaborated.

"Trottingham is the next location, their well-documented history lends to the theory that they would have had contact with the Void creatures many years ago." Floe continued.

"I heard Trottingham is supposed to be lovely this time of year." Rarity remarked.

"The last place is here, in the Frozen North, we've done several expeditions of our own but have had no luck in finding it." Princess Sapphire said dejectedly.

"Alright, girls, how do you want to do this?" Twilight asked, turning to every pony.

"If I'm being honest, I could do for some sun, and some warmer climates. I'd be raring to go to the jungle and have a look around." Applejack spoke up.

"I'd like a place to stretch my wings a bit; Trottingham seems like a real downer so a jungle might just have some excitement that will be keeping me from dying of boredom." Rainbow Dash chimed in.

"I have no idea what Rainbow Dash is talking about; I would jump at the chance to absorb some of the culture Trottingham has to offer." Rarity remarked.

"I heard all they do is drink tea all day." Rainbow Dash mumbled.

"It sounds like they just need a party to spice up that tea party!" Pinkie Pie shouted, wrapping her arm around Rarity's shoulder.

"I guess that leaves just you and me Fluttershy, do you want to stay here and help us find the Obelisks?" Twilight asked, giving Fluttershy an out.

"That will be fine, I want to see all the animals that live up here in the North so I can tell all the foals and fillies back in the Ashen Fields about them. I will also help try and find the large pointy things too, if I can." Fluttershy said softly.

"Ahem!" Spike cleared his throat, tugging on Twilight's tail.

"You can stay too, Spike. Having a dragon in sub-zero temperatures is really useful." Twilight remarked.

"So it's the orange one, the blue one, going to the jungle. The white one and the pink one going to Trottingham." Floe mumbled to himself, writing it down on some parchment.

"If any of you do manage to find the Obelisks or anything that will help us better understand the Void, please take note of it and send it back here as quickly as you can." Princess Sapphire urged them.

"Don't worry Princess, we won't let you down." Applejack said confidently.

"Just remember not to get your grubby little hoof prints all over the Obelisk when you find it." Floe commented, making a face.

"Floe! I want a word with you!" Lady Frost said aloud, in a very motherly tone.

"But Sapphire locked me in a chest! And kicked it! Why aren't you mad at her?" Floe whined, pointing towards her.

"Now!" Lady Frost commanded, sounding rather stern.

Every pony filed out of the meeting room, discussing with each other on their own personal mission, as Princess Sapphire escorted Tea, Chapel, and Florence from the room. Lady Frost stayed behind to give Floe while he looked rather annoyed of Sapphire's get out of trouble free card she had been given.

"I feel like we're just going to be in the way here." Tea said regrettably, holding onto the lantern.

"I did not bring you here for the sole purpose of finding Obelisks, Tea." Princess Sapphire said glancing over at her.

"Then why did you bring us?" Chapel asked curiously.

"Well… I… never really had… any friends before… so I thought it would be… cool if…" Princess Sapphire mumbled, her face flushing slightly.

"You wanted to have a sleep over, didn't you?" Florence asked accusingly.

"A what?" Princess Sapphire asked, looking confused at the term.

"It's when you invite all your friends over to hang out and spend the night at your place. We play games, talk, gossip and all kinds of stuff." Chapel explained.

"I… I suppose I did want something like that; if that is alright with the rest of you?" Princess Sapphire asked nervously.

"Are you kidding? We're hanging out with a Princess! We would be crazy to say no!" Chapel shouted in excitement.

"To-To-To be honest… The reason I wanted you to come out here is because…" Princess Sapphire stammered. "I'm… actually… worried about… Smolder and I really wanted some pony to… talk to about it."

"What are you worried about?" Tea asked curiously, noticing Sapphire's uneasiness.

"If I can't convince every pony to open the portal I'll be failing Smolder, and you; it'll be all my fault-" Princess Sapphire trailed off; she seemed quite rattled by the whole thing.

"You know, whenever I'm worried about Smolder, I always hold this lantern close to me. I can feel the warmth of his fire, and it comforts me; it's like… as long as this burns I know he's alright." Tea said, holding it out to her.

Sapphire took the lantern with her hooves, carefully holding it from the bottom, as to not frost the glass around it. She would never feel the heat from such a meager flame, but just looking at its rippling flames offered her a lot of comfort. It reminded her of Smolder's unwillingness to give up, that such a small flame could still burn after all this time with just a little and care.

"Feel better?" Tea asked hopefully.

"It does offer some respite to these feelings I'm having but I'll feel better when I hit him as hard as I can for leaving the way he did." Princess Sapphire replied with a smile, giving it back.

* * *

I felt a sudden twinge of pain come from the back of my head. Rubbing the back of my head with my hoof I turned around unsure of why I was feeling this sudden feeling.

"What are you doing?" Mira asked, carrying several stone jars in her arms.

"I don't know, but I feel like some pony wants to hit me." I mumbled, still rubbing my head.

I felt Mira's hand slap the back of my head.

"Wow, you're right." Mira remarked, floating back to her jars.


	19. Chapter 19: Jungle Hijinks

The Royal Carriage from the Frozen North sped down the dusty landing strip, kicking up a small cloud of dirt as it passed, revealing Applejack and Rainbow Dash standing off to the side watching it go by. The Royal Guard Pegasi leapt into the air, the carriage lurching after them, traveling higher and higher into the air before losing sight of it from the sun overhead. Applejack and Rainbow Dash remained seated where they were, looking around at the small airstrip they had been left at. Vegetation, trees, plant life lined the edges of the field, having been cut back by ponies from past years to make the landing strip. A small wooden hut, held together with cement and stone blocks stood in shambles off to their right; the wind moving the loose boards.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I ain't too sure about that myself." Applejack replied, taking another look around.

"Do you still have that paper Floe gave us?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, turning to her.

"I got it right here." Applejack replied, lifting her hat and producing piece of parchment.

"Does it say where we're supposed to go?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking over her shoulder to see it better.

"It doesn't say much, it just says 'Swordfish', and has his signature." Applejack reported, looking it over.

"Where the hay are we going to find a swordfish around here?" Rainbow Dash asked flatly, looking rather annoyed.

"Why don't you fly up and see if you can find anything interesting while I go check out the hut, okay?" Applejack suggested, tucking the parchment back under her hat.

"Solid idea, Applejack." Rainbow Dash replied, throwing her a quick salute.

Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, soaring high overhead, leaving Applejack to deduce the hut's secrets; if there were any. Approaching the hut, Applejack could see that it had not seen use in quite some time. No more than a simple press of her hoof upon the sun faded wooden door caused it to fall forward, breaking into several splintered pieces kicking up the dirt and dust that covered the floor. Fanning her hat back and forth to clear the air, Applejack stepped into the hut, the floorboards groaned beneath her weight. It was missing part of its wall, a turned over table, a shattered window, and some lidless wooden boxes carelessly stacked in the corner.

"Nuts." Applejack mumbled, looking rather disappointed.

Turning to leave, Applejack's hoof broke through a floor board. Struggling to free her hoof, Applejack pulled it loose to find face staring back up at her.

"Guah!" Applejack gasped in surprise, back quickly away from it.

Nothing moved from the floorboards, giving Applejack pause to approach it once more, but slowly stepped closer to have another look. Peering into the hole in the floor once more, Applejack could see a rather ghoulish face still staring back up at her. It looked rather stiff, giving her the confidence to reach through the floor boards to fish it out. With some tweaking, Applejack was able to work it through the hole in the floor and found herself holding a mask. It was wooden, lacquered black, carved to have fangs, and an unpleasant smile. There were two eye holes within the mask allowing a pony to see through it, the color had faded quite a bit but it seemed to have been painted red.

"I wonder what this was for?" Applejack asked herself curiously, examining it.

Flipping it over, Applejack could see indentations where a strap would have been pulled through to allow a pony to wear it. Deciding to try it herself, Applejack lifted the mask to her face, peering through the eye holes, looking around the room.

"Well, it gets the job done I suppose." Applejack remarked.

"Hey Applejack, I took a look around and I- AUUUUUUGH!" Rainbow Dash screamed.

Rainbow Dash had stepped in with Applejack still holding up the mask and scared herself silly. Applejack didn't have enough time to drop the mask to tell her it was only her, as Rainbow Dash bolted from the hut in a blind panic. Stepping out of the hut, Applejack looked around for Rainbow Dash to spy a familiar rainbow colored tail poking out from behind a tree.

"Rainbow Dash, it's only me!" Applejack called out, waving the mask overhead.

Rainbow Dash's head peeked out from around the tree, deciding it was safe to leave her hiding spot she floated back over cautiously.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack with that." Rainbow Dash mentioned as she came closer.

"Nearly gave me one too when I found it." Applejack replied, holding it out to her.

"Was this in the hut?" Rainbow Dash asked, taking the mask from her.

"It was underneath the floorboards, I don't rightly know why it's there but it's left me with more questions than answers." Applejack explained.

"Applejack, Applejack, Applejack… tell me, is this a good look for me?" Rainbow Dash asked quickly, holding the mask up to her face.

"I think I like you better without it." Applejack replied, frowning at the ghoulish mask.

"It's kind of cool." Rainbow Dash mentioned, examining it some more.

"Did you see anything when you were flying around up there?" Applejack asked curiously.

"Oh! Yeah, I saw a little clearing a mile or so from here, it could be a village or something." Rainbow Dash reported, pointing in its direction.

"I guess it's a start, let's get going." Applejack said, heading off in the direction Rainbow Dash pointed.

"Seriously though, Applejack, this could be my new Nightmare Night costume." Rainbow Dash said, floating alongside her.

Having to navigate through the jungle was a bit of a chore for Applejack, with all brush, vines, mud, and roots getting in her way. Rainbow Dash did her best to karate chop as many as the vines as she could to clear the way, lifting Applejack over some of the mud pits, but it was just difficult going ten steps without running into something else.

"Remind me again why we picked the jungle?" Rainbow Dash asked, kicking some brush aside.

"Would you have preferred freezing up in the Frozen North?" Applejack asked, following her through the brush.

"Point taken." Rainbow Dash replied.

With another kick, Rainbow Dash made an opening from the tree line that edged the clearing she had seen earlier. Stepping out, Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked around the clearing to see several wooden huts on silts spotting the area, several wicker baskets, some dirt paths, and even laundry lines connecting from hut to hut; except something seemed off to them.

"Where's all the ponies?" Rainbow Dash asked looking about.

"Hello?" Applejack called out.

Other than the ambient noise of the jungle, it was deathly quiet within the village that made Rainbow Dash and Applejack uneasy. Deciding that another investigation was needed, Applejack headed for the stilted huts while Rainbow Dash flew high over heard to try and find out what was going on.

"Maybe we should have stayed up North." Applejack mumbled, not liking how things were going so far on their trip.

The stilted huts had some stairs leading up to each one, noticeable hoof prints in the dirt made it clear ponies were here at some point, but to why they weren't anymore was what she was hoping to find in one of these huts. Unlike the hut near the landing strip, these particular huts were more lived in, and better kept. It almost seemed as if every pony had dropped everything right in the middle of the day and just left for one reason or another.

Feeling that it was rude to start rummaging through some ponies home when they weren't there, Applejack decided to look elsewhere for clues. Nothing seemed odd about the village; there was no noticeable damage, no signs of a fight, or even a hurry to leave. It was as if every pony had vanished. Turning the corner of a silted hut, Applejack saw the ghoulish mask staring at her from the tree line. Frowning at the idea that Rainbow Dash was attempting to scare her once more, she waved a hello before moving on.

"The next time I agree to go anywhere there best be a pony waiting to welcome us or I'm giving them an ear full." Applejack mumbled, annoyed at this impromptu hide and seek.

Entering the area that would be considered the center of the village, Applejack looked around to see if there was any sign of where every pony went. From the hoof prints, it seemed that every pony had gathered here before heading off towards the jungle. Scratching her head at the wonder of what made them all decide to leave at once, a sudden gust of wind blew past her as Rainbow Dash flew down beside her.

"Find anything?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"I reckon that these here ponies got together and headed off into the forest." Applejack mentioned.

"Why?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"No idea. Did you find anything?" Applejack asked curiously.

"I found a strap for my mask." Rainbow Dash replied, sliding the ghoulish mask over her face to show her.

"If you spent more time looking for clues then hiding behind trees with that dumb mask, we might actually get somewhere." Applejack remarked, sounding a bit agitated.

"I wasn't hiding, and I was looking for some clues. That's how I found the strap." Rainbow Dash said in her defense.

"I saw you hiding behind that there tree, Rainbow Dash, I even waved at you." Applejack pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking rather confused.

"Over there near the tree line, you were standing over behind that there tree." Applejack explained, looking rather surprised by her look of confusion.

"I wasn't near the trees." Rainbow Dash replied.

There was a moment of confused looks at one another, then some panicked ones as they started to realize what it really meant. Applejack rushed over to one of the stilted legs of the hut, glancing around the side to look at the tree line; Rainbow Dash following close behind her. The tree line had nearly twenty ghoulish masks peering from behind trees, all looking their way.

"Who the hay are they?" Rainbow Dash asked nervously.

"How am I supposed to know?" Applejack asked, sounding equally as nervous.

"Do you think this is their village?" Rainbow Dash asked in hushed voice.

"Could be, we found that mask not too far from here." Applejack pointed out.

"What if it's cursed?" Rainbow Dash whispered in horror, pulling the mask off her head.

"Don't be ridiculous." Applejack replied, dismissing the idea.

Applejack turned her gaze back to the tree line to see one of the ghoulish masks had stepped out. It was draped in a black cloak, the mask staring right at them. Applejack could feel Rainbow Dash clinging tightly to her arm, it did little to settle her nerves but felt lucky to have a friend here to share in this heart pounding experience.

"H-H-Hey, partner." Applejack called out nervously to it.

" **Ooga-chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga-Chaka**!" The ghoulish masks started to chant together.

"Let's get out of here!" Rainbow Dash screamed.

Applejack didn't need to be told twice. Turning on the spot, Rainbow Dash and Applejack bolted from the village, following the same direction of all the hoof prints from the villager ponies. Nearing the tree line Applejack dared to glance over her shoulder to see if they were being followed and to her horror, they were. The ghoulish masked creatures were in pursuit of them, already running past the village in a straight line after them.

"Keeping running, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack shouted.

"Hooves don't fail me now!" Rainbow Dash shouted in response.

Deeper and deeper into the jungle they ran, not knowing which way they were headed, but knowing they didn't want to get caught by those mask wearing creatures. Through brush and mud, Rainbow Dash and Applejack tore through the jungle, adrenaline keeping them from realizing how tired they were.

"Did we lose them?" Applejack asked aloud, looking over her shoulder.

"I don't know, maybe we- AUUUUUUUGH!" Rainbow Dash shrieked.

Applejack looked back to see Rainbow Dash no longer in front of her. Throwing on the brakes, Applejack looked about frantically to find her.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called out in worry.

"I'm up here." Rainbow Dash's voice drifted from up above; almost sounding annoyed.

Looking up, Applejack could see Rainbow Dash caught in some sort of makeshift net, suspended from a tree branch high overhead.

"How'd did you get way up there?" Applejack asked curiously.

"I don't know! One minute I was running and the next minute I was in this dumb net." Rainbow Dash snapped at her.

"Alright, alright, don't get mad, I'll get you down from there." Applejack replied, looking around for where the cord to the net might be.

Tracing the line from the branch down the trunk of the tree, Applejack could see a wooden spike with a cord wrapped around it. Stepping over to it, Applejack reached down, taking it with her teeth and yanked it loose. The sound of rope being pulled very quickly was heard, as Applejack looked up to see if Rainbow Dash had been freed but she still hung high overhead.

"Well that didn't-HEY!" Applejack had begun but was suddenly snared in another net underneath her and pulled high up into the trees.

"Nice one." Rainbow Dash mumbled.

"How was I supposed to know there was two traps?" Applejack asked, sounding frustrated.

Rainbow Dash didn't reply, she was trying to chew her way through the net. Spitting at the taste, Rainbow Dash wiped her mouth and folded her arms fuming at the situation they were in.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding extremely annoyed.

"I guess we're stuck here until who ever laid these traps come back to check." Applejack replied, getting comfortable.

"What if these traps were set by those weird mask wearing creatures?" Rainbow Dash asked nervously.

"Unless you got something sharp to cut us out of this, I guess we don't have much of a choice then to wait." Applejack replied bitterly.

"HEEEEEEEELP!" Rainbow Dash shouted as loudly as she could.

"What are you shouting for? It's only going to bring those mask creatures here quicker." Applejack hissed at her.

"This is not how I saw things going today." Rainbow Dash said defeated, slumping in her net.

Several hours had passed with no sign of mask wearing creature, pony, or animal to be seen. The sun was beginning to set as Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat miserably in their nets.

"I want to be out of this thing already!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily, thrashing about.

"This is murder on my back." Applejack mumbled, trying to adjust her position but the net had other ideas.

" _Looks like I caught two ponies in my traps tonight, how unfortunate for you that my pet Chimera hasn't had a proper meal in days_." A voice echoed around them.

"Who said that?" Applejack asked aloud.

"Who cares who said it? They're going to feed us to a 'Shy Bear-a!'" Rainbow Dash shouted in fright.

" _It's Chimera, not 'Shy-Bear-a'! That doesn't even make sense_!" The voice shouted back.

"Wait a gosh darn minute, there ain't no Chimeras in this here jungle." Applejack said aloud.

" _Uh… yes there is_!" The voice shouted back.

"No there isn't!" Applejack shouted again.

" _I don't know what to tell you, but I've got a Chimera standing right in front of me_!" The voice shouted.

"I know there ain't any Chimera here cause the last one I saw was in Flame Geyser Swamp!" Applejack snapped back.

The voice didn't reply back right away.

" _Did I say Chimera? I meant a Bugbear_!" The voice shouted.

"How dumb does it think we are?" Rainbow Dash asked bravely; having realized there was no Chimera.

" _Who's dumb? You're dumb_!" The voice shouted back, sounding insulted.

"Why don't' you come say that to my face you big chicken!" Rainbow Dash shouted back.

" _You don't want me to come up there! I'll knock you so hard you'll be eating apple sauce the rest of your life_!" The voice shouted back.

"I bet you couldn't even smoosh a moldy apple you limp armed pony!" Rainbow Dash shouted back.

"Rainbow Dash! Are you trying to start a fight? Have your forgotten we're still stuck in these dumb nets?" Applejack asked in disbelief.

" _Wait… Rainbow Dash_?" The voice asked in surprise.

The nets suddenly dropped from the treetops, sliding their way down to the ground before stopping short a few inches above it. A sudden flash of metal reflected from the setting sun, a large machete being held up over the net. With a quite swipe, the machete cut the top of the cord, unraveling the net and letting Rainbow Dash and Applejack plop onto the ground. Applejack rubbed her back, stretching it out, as she looked at their captor and rescuer.

"Well I'll be, you're-"

"Daring Do!" Rainbow Dash cut her off in a sudden squeal of excitement.

"Shhhh!" Daring Do hissed at her, covering Rainbow Dash's mouth with her hoof. "I don't want the whole jungle knowing I'm here."

Daring Do stepped back, sporting her trademark safari clothes, her grayscale mane, similar in that to Rainbow Dash's and cutie mark compass rose. Her soft yellow hide was lightly layered with dry mud and dirt as she looked at the two of them with confusion. Rainbow Dash immediately jumped at her, hugging her tightly, although Daring Do didn't seem at all in the mood for hugs she cracked a smile at seeing a friend.

"What in the Equestria are you two ponies doing here?" Daring Do asked, looking between the two of them.

"You're not going to believe this, Daring Do, it all started back when Applejack found this Flame Pony wandering around her farm. I just so happened to be floating by on a cloud when I smelled some of Sweet Apple Acre's apple pie and thought I'd stop in for some lunch when-" Rainbow Dash was once more silenced by Daring Do's hoof being placed over her mouth.

"So what are you doing here, again?" Daring Do asked looking at Applejack, in hopes for a more direct answer.

"We were sent here by the Court Wizard Floe from the Frozen North to help find two Obelisks." Applejack replied.

"You got to be kidding me; you two are his research team?" Daring Do asked in disbelief.

"You bet." Rainbow Dash replied, moving her hoof off her mouth.

"If you're the research team, then… then he would have given you the password. O-O-Otherwise, I'll have to send you two home, tough break, but hey, rules are rules." Daring Do said quickly; looking anxious at the idea of having them on this expedition.

"I don't know anything about no password, but he did give us this here parchment that reads 'Swordfish'. Could that be the password?" Applejack asked pulling it out from under her hat.

"Give me that!" Daring Do shouted, swiping it from Applejack.

Daring Do looked it over again and again; looking absolutely livid. With a defeated sigh, Daring Do turned back to them and did her best to smile.

"Welcome to Team Swordfish." Daring Do mumbled.

"Alright! Team Swordfish!" Rainbow Dash shouted in delight.

"Shhhh!" Daring Do shushed her.

"Sorry." Rainbow Dash whispered, covering her mouth.

"Follow me. I've got a camp not too far from here." Daring Do said, motioning them to follow her.

Daring Do's campsite was way up in rather large tree, no pony would notice it from a first look seeing as it was hidden in the branches of leaves of the tree. It was more of a tree house, but no pony was going to argue about it. Taking Applejack by the arms, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do carried her up to the treehouse. It was a rather modest looking treehouse, made mostly from precut wood, some camouflaged jungle tarps that roll off the sides of the roof and walls. It seemed to house two ponies easily, a third would be the limit. Inside there was a desk, a hammock, a chair, several books stacked in the corner, a map of the jungle with several hoof drawn markings upon it and one window void of glass. There was a small lantern upon her desk that she used for light late at night. Striking some flint and steel together, she lit the lantern and hung it from a hoof on the ceiling to give them some light.

"You ponies hungry?" Daring Do asked curiously, opening a crate near her bed.

"Starving." Applejack replied.

Daring Do returned with some trail mix and canteens of water. It wasn't much of a spread but no pony was complaining.

"I was expecting Floe or some Ice Ponies to be showing up around here. You ponies were the last ponies on my list to see in this jungle." Daring Do remarked, eating a hoof full of trail mix.

"There's a lot to explain, some things have come up and we really need to find the Obelisks as soon as possible." Applejack replied.

"I'm actually dealing with something a little more important than research expedition right now; you couldn't have come at a worse time." Daring Do replied, looking a bit solemn.

"Why? What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well…" Daring Do began, getting up from the floor and heading over to her map of the jungle. "Last week I was following a possible lead on where the Obelisks might be located, the lead turned out to be a bust but I found something I was expecting."

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked already enthralled in the story.

"Ahuizotl." Daring Do replied with a sneer.

"No!" Rainbow Dash replied in a gasp.

"I stumbled upon him leading a group of his henchponies deep into the jungle. He was spouting his usual monologue, nothing I haven't heard before, up until he mentioned the Heart of the Jungle." Daring Do explained.

"What's that?" Applejack asked.

"Legend speaks of a power hidden within the jungle, a power so great that it could be used to defeat any adversary. That this power conquered every warring jungle pony tribe, and brought them into an age of peace. The legend goes on to say that once fighting had stopped the jungle ponies hid this power deep within their jungle, protecting it from all those that sought after it; earning it its name Heart of the Jungle." Daring Do elaborated further.

"Now Ahuizotl is looking for it!" Rainbow Dash gasped in disbelief.

"That's what I'm thinking, he seems to have a good idea of where it might be, but he's been here for almost a week and hasn't turned up squat. I left those traps out in the jungle hoping to capture some of his henchponies, but you can see how that turned out." Daring Do said looking rather disappointed.

"What about the village ponies?" Applejack asked.

"What about them?" Daring Do asked curiously.

"They're all missing." Rainbow Dash replied.

"What?" Daring Do asked in shock.

"We found their village on our way to the pony on the research team and found it completely deserted." Applejack explained.

"It must have Ahuizotl, that blue faced weasel! He probably captured the villagers and is forcing them to help him search for the Heart of the Jungle!" Daring Do hissed bitterly, grinding her teeth in frustration.

"Or it could have been those creatures with the masks." Rainbow Dash added, getting a nod from Applejack.

"What masked creatures?" Daring Do asked in surprise.

"We were chased by a bunch of creatures wearing these ugly masks; they looked a lot like this one here." Rainbow Dash explained, showing her the mask they had found.

The color in Daring Do's face drained away, taking the mask slowly from Rainbow Dash. It was as if she was looking at a ghost, she seemed disturbed by the mask; as if it was something she had seen before.

"You know who they are, don't you?" Applejack asked.

"There was a part of the legend that I never took seriously, I never found proof of it anywhere, no mention of it. But this… if what you say is true, and you have seen the creatures that wear these masks, then we're in unbelievable trouble." Daring Do said, sounding very serious.

"Why? What are they?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding a bit scared.

"The legends say that if the Heart of the Jungle is ever threatened, that if any pony tried to take it for themselves, the Hom Dai would rise in its defense and cleanse the forest." Daring Do said uneasily.

"You mean like… a bath or something?" Rainbow Dash asked optimistically.

Daring Do shook her head no. Taking her hoof she slid it across her throat, making a cutting sound with her mouth.


	20. Chapter 20: The Daring Plan

Deep within the jungle several hard at work henchponies were digging away at the small clearing dirt, excavating the land and chopping away the overgrowth that lingered. The henchpony's attire wasn't all that complicated a headband here, some face paint there, some feather, a bit of jewelry, and they were ready to rough some ponies up. Although several wagons full of dirt, splintered wood, and stone were currently being carted up from the site by these henchponies, and being dumped haphazardly a couple yards away. The sounds of tools, metal striking rock, echoed across the jungle as the henchponies dug ever on. It seemed like back breaking work, but for their leader, Ahuizotl, merely stood off to the side to supervise the site. Ahuizotl had an elongated dog-like head; he walked on all fours like having dog-like hind limbs, and ape-like forelimbs. His fur was a dark blue, while lighter in some areas, his golden jewelry sparkled in the sun, as his tail hand a monkey-like fist waving at its end.

"No pony gets a break until we find the key!" Ahuizotl shouted angrily, shaking his fist menacingly.

"What's this 'we' stuff?" A henchpony mumbled under his breath; driving a pickaxe into the dirt.

"I'd like to see him pick up a shovel for once." The henchpony beside him murmured.

"Soon, I will have the Heart of the Jungle in my possession and all of Equestria will tremble before me!" Ahuizotl declared loudly, laughing maniacally.

"Drop out of school you said, henchponies is where the money is at you said." Another henchpony said sarcastically.

"How was I supposed to know henchponies make only five figures annually?" Asked the henchpony standing beside him.

"Less talking and more digging!" Ahuizotl warned them.

Several yards away, just behind the tree line, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack hid surveying Ahuizotl's encampment. Daring Do had some small branches of leaves tucked into her hat to better conceal herself while Rainbow Dash took more of a guerilla tactic and covered herself in mud and leaves. Applejack didn't really see the need for covering herself in mud and chose to keep her head down like a normal pony.

"So what's Ahuizotl looking for?" Rainbow Dash asked in a whisper.

"I think he said something about a key, which is a good sign seeing as he doesn't have the Heart of the Jungle yet." Daring Do whispered back, taking out a pair of binoculars.

"He talks so loud it's a surprise not every pony in the jungle knows about it." Applejack mentioned.

Focusing her binoculars, Daring Do peered through the lenses to get a better look. By her count there were at least twelve henchponies working the dig site, and looking none too happy about it either. She focused her sights on Ahuizotl who continued to bark orders at his henchponies as his tail fist clutched a rolled up piece of parchment.

"He's got something in his stupid monkey paw." Daring Do reported.

"Can you see what it is?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm not sure but I'll bet my hat it's a map of some kind." Daring Do whispered.

"A map to what?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

"I'm not sure, but I'll take a guess and say it marks the locations of these clues." Daring Do answered, lowering her binoculars.

"Do you see any of the missing Jungle Ponies?" Applejack asked curiously.

Daring Do scanned the dig site. It was clear that the only ponies that were shoveling dirt and picking rocks were the henchponies, and there didn't seem to be any cages with trapped ponies. Not liking the weird feeling in her gut, Daring Do shook her head no.

"The Jungle Ponies are not here." Daring Do reported.

"Does that mean that the Hom Dai really got to them first?" Rainbow Dash asked in a horrified whisper.

"It's too early to start jumping to any conclusions; they might have saw signs of trouble and hightailed it out of here. For the meantime, our job is to ensure that Ahuizotl doesn't get his big dumb hands on the Heart of the Jungle." Daring Do informed her.

"So what's the plan, then?" Applejack asked.

"We need to gather more information on what Ahuizotl knows, and what these clues will ultimately lead him to." Daring Do stated.

"How are we going to do that?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

Raising her binoculars once more, Daring Do searched the campsite in hopes to find something to help them out. Spying some laundry hanging on the line, Daring Do suddenly had an idea.

"I'm going in." Daring Do whispered to them; giving Rainbow Dash the binoculars. "Don't follow me, just stay right here."

"What are you going to do?" Applejack asked, sounding concerned.

Daring Do took off her hat, her shirt, tossing them to Applejack before gathering up some mud from the ground and using it to obscure her cutie mark. Signaling Rainbow Dash and Applejack to remain quiet, Daring Do got down low and crawled on her stomach out from the brush towards the campsite. The extra dirt helped her to blend in with the other henchponies that had been digging all day, but for her disguise to really work she needed to get some of their garbs.

Ahuizotl whipped open the parchment in his tail hand in front of him. The map in his possession was very old, but it did not stop Ahuizotl from drawing on it with a marker. With two big x's crossed off the images depicting two temples, Ahuizotl traced his finger to the remaining temple upon the map that were crudely circled with ink.

"It won't be long now." Ahuizotl whispered to himself, unable to contain an evil grin.

Ahuizotl threw back his head for an overly dramatic evil villain's laugh that scared a flock of birds from the treetops around them. The henchponies from down in the dig site overheard Ahuizotl's laughing and rolled their eyes collectively.

"Easy for him to say, he's not the one having to dig through solid rock with second hoof tools." A henchpony remarked disdainfully.

"You said it, Mugsy." Another henchpony agreed with him.

"It's been three days and we haven't seen so much as a hint of gold; this is a joke." Mugsy the henchpony said disdainfully. "I remember signing up for piles of cash and knocking some heads together. Not this digging and picking stuff."

Several henchponies mumbled in agreement.

"Sounds like we're not getting what we were promised." A voice chimed in.

Mugsy the henchpony, along with many others, looked over to see where the unfamiliar voice had come from. In her disguise, Daring Do was chipping away at some rock with a pickaxe, committing to her persona of just being one of the henchponies.

"You say something, bub?" Mugsy asked in a rough and tough manner.

"All I was saying is that I didn't sign up to be a slave is all." Daring Do replied again, speaking in a lower register to disguise her voice.

"I ain't no pony's slave!" Mugsy remarked taking offense to the idea.

Mugsy stepped up to her, throwing out his chest, feeling his macho like demeanor was being questioned. Some of the henchponies were now coming over to see if a fight was about to break out, but Daring Do kept her cool; standing hoof to hoof with him.

"You talk big but you're down here in the pit just like us, bud." Daring Do informed him; tossing her pickaxe on the ground.

There was a collective 'oooo' from every henchpony. Mugsy was looking rather frustrated now, looking for something to say to make him sound tough without making promise he knew he couldn't keep.

"Yeah… well… that blue monkey… dog… thing is on my last nerve!" Mugsy announced, trying to win back the crowd.

"Yeah!" All the henchponies declared in unison.

"But what can we do?" A henchpony asked, hoping for an answer.

"We could… we could… uh…" Mugsy took a moment to think about it.

Daring Do leaned over to Mugsy to whisper to him.

"You can unionize." Daring Do whispered to him.

"We can unionize!" Mugsy shouted to the other henchponies.

All the henchponies cheered in support of this idea, tossing their tools to the ground and stomping their hooves.

"What does that mean?" A henchpony asked from the crowd.

"Uh… it means uh…" Mugsy mumbled again trying to think hard.

"It means that you can stop working until Ahuizotl treats you better." Daring Do whispered to him once again.

"It means that we don't have to work anymore until Ahuizotl meets our demands!" Mugsy shouted, watching all the henchponies cheer him on.

"You should start right now." Daring Do whispered to him.

"And I'm going to go make these demands right now!" Mugsy declared.

The henchponies cheered once more, stomping their hooves and high hoofing each other.

"What _are_ our demands?" A henchpony asked from the crowd.

"Uh… uh… um…" Mugsy thought about it, looking over at the disguised Daring Do for help.

"… dental?" Daring Do offered with a shrug.

"Dental plans for every pony!" Mugsy cried.

The henchponies cheered in agreement. Mugsy marched off with the herd of henchponies at his back to confront Ahuizotl, while Daring Do quietly hung back to survey the dig site more thoroughly. It was apparent that the temple that once stood here had fallen many years ago, with all the rain and mud having covered most of it. Taking in the area, Daring Do was able to map out in her head the foundation that temple once had.

"What in Equestria is Ahuizotl looking for?" Daring Do whispered to herself.

Ahuizotl was still snickering to himself over the idea of having the Heart of the Jungle in his possession when he felt a tug on his tail from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, Ahuizotl saw a henchpony waiting to speak with him. Quickly putting away his smile, Ahuizotl turned to the henchpony putting on his menacing face.

"Sir?" Mugsy spoke up.

"What? What is it, Mugsy?" Ahuizotl asked rolling up the map.

"The other henchponies and I have decided to unionize." Mugsy remarked.

"How dare you utter such filth in my presence?" Ahuizotl shouted in disgust.

"Look, sir, it's been two weeks of dead ends, petty theft, and long hours with no overtime. We're not going to stand for it anymore." Mugsy informed him.

Ahuizotl could see all his henchponies tossing their tools down, not looking all that happy with him. Pulling on his golden collars nervously, Ahuizotl wrapped his arm around Mugsy in a friendly manner.

"Well… it's been a bit of a dry streak for us, what can I say?" Ahuizotl remarked nervously.

"That you're going to be making some changes around here, changes that we want." Mugsy declared with every henchpony nodding their head in agreement.

"You are absolutely right, Mugsy, I must have caught some sort of… jungle fever out here. I've been pushing you ponies way too hard. What do you say we break for lunch and pick this up later?" Ahuizotl asked, trying to come off as charming; hoping to steer them away from forming their own union.

"We also want to talk about a dental plan." Mugsy added, with the rest of the henchponies nodding their heads.

Rainbow Dash zoomed in with her binoculars to see the henchponies leaving the dig site with Ahuizotl, they all seemed to be discussing something with one another. Searching around for any sign of Daring Do, but came up empty.

"What do you see, Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked curiously.

"The henchponies are moving back to camp with Ahuizotl, but I don't see Daring Do with them." Rainbow Dash reported.

"Is she still over by the dig site?" Applejack asked curiously.

Swinging her view towards the dig site, Rainbow Dash could see the top of Daring Do's head peeking out from the lip of the pit. Waving her hoof in their direction, Rainbow Dash could see that she was calling them over.

"You were right, Applejack. Daring Do is still over there and I think she wants us to join her." Rainbow Dash replied, passing her the binoculars to take a look.

"We're going to have to make our way along the tree line before we try to make our way over." Applejack pointed out, peering through the binoculars to see Daring Do still trying to signal them.

Keeping their heads low, Applejack and Rainbow Dash moved down the tree line closer towards the dig site. Daring Do waited patiently for them, keeping an eye out for any henchponies that may have been wandering about. With the all clear signaled by Daring Do, Applejack and Rainbow Dash dashed out from the tree line, making their way over to the lip of the pit before dropping in.

"We'll have to be quick; I'm not sure how long every pony will be gone for." Daring Do said quickly and quietly.

Applejack offered her hat and shirt back to, which Daring Do was more than happy to put back on while wiping the headband and feather from herself.

"What exactly are they looking for?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, looking at all the uncovered temple stones still wedged within the ground.

"That's what we're here to find out. From the layout of this place, it's safe to say that this is the main plaza, which means that the wall over there is our best bet at finding the next part of this temple." Daring Do explained to them.

"You mean that giant wall of rock?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking skeptical.

"It doesn't appear to look like much, which is why the henchponies dug down instead of out, but it's actually a wall mural that has been lost to time and nature. Our only problem is that the jungle ponies used rocks to make this place and sealed the room with more rocks." Daring Do stated, walking them over to the rock face at the end of the dig site.

"So we're going to have to dig this out ourselves?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at the solid rock wall in front of her.

"Yep, and as an added bonus we can't make too much noise or risk being discovered." Daring Do added, picking up a pickaxe.

"This is going to take all day, there's no way we're going to get through before Ahuizotl catches us." Rainbow Dash remarked, shaking her head at the idea.

"Stand aside partner, I've got this." Applejack said, placing her hoof on Daring Do's pickaxe to have her step back.

Applejack placed her ear upon the rock wall, lightly tapping it with her hoof, listening carefully as she slowly moved over every now and again.

"Applejack, what are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking very confused.

"I didn't spend all that time working with Roman and his stone cutter ponies not to pick up on a couple of things." Applejack remarked, tapping her hoof against the wall again.

"What is she talking about?" Daring Do asked looking equally confused.

With a tap of her hoof, Applejack noticed a difference within the rock. Taking several steps back, signaling to Daring Do and Rainbow Dash to step back to give her room. Bending her knees slightly, focusing on a specific point on the wall, Applejack leaped forward, turning on a dime and kicked the rock with tremendous force. From the impact of her hoof, the rock wall split almost immediately, several more cracks webbing its way out from the center before beginning to crumble away. As the rocks fell, it revealed a room behind it; a dirt cloud billowing its way out before them.

"Applejack that was amazing!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Shush! We're trying to keep a low profile here!" Daring Do hissed at her.

" _Sorry._ " Rainbow Dash whispered back, covering her mouth with her hooves.

"That was a good kick though, Applejack." Daring Do remarked walking past her into the hidden room.

Applejack tipped her hat to Daring Do before following her into the hidden room with Rainbow Dash striding up beside her.

"How did you do that?" Rainbow Dash asked, still reeling from her amazing feat.

"When Tiff was getting his dam built back in the Ashen Fields, there wasn't much else to do but sit around and wait, but I ain't about that so I decided to pitch in where I could. Roman should me some basic kicks for breaking stones, and I picked it up pretty quick." Applejack explained.

"You got to show me how to do that." Rainbow Dash said excitedly.

"I got to say though, if I had to choose between bucking trees or rocks, trees win it hooves down." Applejack replied.

The hidden room was rather large, the light from outside only bathed the entrance of the room and nothing else. Daring Do put the pickaxe on the ground, giving it a rather forceful kick near the top, snapping the wood in two. Wrapping some of the henchponies garments around the top of the stick, she retrieved some flint and steel from her shirt pocket and struck some sparks upon it. The garments caught fire, making her impromptu torch roar to life.

"Alright, we need to search this room for anything that looks important." Daring Do stated, turning to the two of them.

"Right." Applejack and Rainbow Dash said together.

Daring Do jumped up into the air, hovering just a ways off the ground, trying to provide the maximum amount of light for every pony as they searched. The room itself was filled with very old objects, everything from plates, pots, statues, and even some ancient cloths could be found lying about.

"It seems more like a storage room then a temple." Applejack remarked, removing some cobwebs from a pot.

"It would help if we knew what we were looking for." Rainbow Dash remarked; pushing some pots aside to look at an old rolled up tarp.

Daring Do waved the torch around, trying to scan the room, when something shimmered from the far end of the wall. Waving her torch once more, the shimmer appeared each time. Quickly soaring down to the far wall, Daring Do held up her torch to see an undamaged mural before her. It was a painting, depicting the Hom Dai, each mask different in both color and style. The jungle was there back drop while the center piece was what caught her eye.

"I think I found what Ahuizotl was looking for." Daring Do remarked, catching bother Applejack's and Rainbow Dash's attention.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack strode up along-side her to see a feint shimmer reflecting the torch light.

"Those look like the masks we saw from yesterday." Applejack stated, looking over the mural.

"There are some inscriptions here." Daring Do mumbled, tracing her foot over the engravings.

"Can you read it?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"My ancient Jungle Pony is a bit rusty but I think I can get the idea." Daring Do mentioned, carefully looking it over.

"What's it say?" Applejack asked after a couple moments of silence.

"It says something along the lines of 'whoever disturbs the Heart of the Jungle calls upon the Hom Dai to cleanse the jungle' or something. I'm just paraphrasing." Daring Do stated.

Rubbing her hoof against the wall to read more, the shimmer started to grow, every pony gasped at what was beneath it. A solid ruby, shaped like a tear drop, nearly the size of watermelon, fitted within the wall.

"Rarity is going to flip when she hears about this." Applejack mentioned, giving a sharp whistle at the sight of it.

Daring Do passed the torch to Rainbow Dash, taking extreme care, she tapped the gem several times to work it out of the wall before catching it as it slipped out. The weight was intense; the flames from the torch reflected the red light all about the room as the three ponies stared at in wonder.

"That must be worth over a million bits!" Rainbow remarked, marveled by it.

"Chump change compared to the Heart of the Jungle." Ahuizotl's voice drifted into the room.

Daring Do whipped around to see Ahuizotl and his henchponies standing at the entrance. A mixture of sour looks and sneers were worn upon every henchpony as Ahuizotl towered behind them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped forward, putting themselves in front of Daring Do who held the ruby.

"Daring Do, how nice of you to find my gemstone." Ahuizotl began his pleasantries.

"How dumb of you to think I'll be handing this over." Daring Do remarked.

"You cannot stop me this time, Daring Dope, the Heart of the Jungle shall be mine and you will kneel before my awesome power!" Ahuizotl shouted in revelry.

"Ahem!" Mugsy cleared his throat.

"Right, right." Ahuizotl remarked nodding to him. "You shall be kneeling before _our_ awesome power!"

They were outnumbered three to one, and their only means of escape was currently blocked. To make matters worse, the ruby was rather heavy, which was going to slow Daring Do down, but also make it difficult to put down and not have some henchpony try to steal it while they were distracted.

"Do we have a plan to get out of here?" Applejack whispered, not liking the odds.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." Daring Do whispered back, looking around the room.

"Enough of these semantics! Daring Do, you and your friends will hand over that gemstone or _we_ shall have to take it from you by force!" Ahuizotl declared, raising his fist at her in fierce determination.

"You'll have to catch us first!" Rainbow Dash shouted suddenly.

With a hard flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash snuffed out the torch, throwing the whole room back into a blanket of darkness; successfully catching every pony by surprise.

"Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?" Daring Do hissed at her.

"Buying us some time. They won't be able to find us in the dark very quickly." Rainbow Dash remarked.

Sure enough, the henchponies were hesitant to rush in. Daring Do could see them squinting hard, trying to focus their eyes to the darkness. It turned out to be a good idea on Rainbow Dash's part after all.

"Find them! Bring me that gemstone!" Ahuizotl shouted, pointing his henchponies to brave the darkness.

"I didn't bring a torch, did you bring a torch?" A henchpony asked another.

"Forget the stupid torches! Just catch them!" Ahuizotl shouted angrily.

Several henchponies rushed into the darkness, disappearing from sight, when several crashes were heard of ponies tripping over themselves into piles of junk.

"I can't see anything!" A henchpony shouted from within the dark room.

"I think I found them!" Another henchpony shouted.

"That's me you dolt!" A rather angry henchpony replied.

Daring Do could see the rest of the henchponies were having seconds thoughts about running in, which gave her an idea.

"Applejack, hold onto the ruby. Rainbow Dash, come with me." Daring Do said quickly, passing the ruby to her.

"What are you waiting for? Get in there!" Ahuizotl shouted in frustration.

"I'm not going in there, not without a torch or something." A henchpony remarked.

"That ruby could buy you a lifetime supply of torches! Now get in there!" Ahuizotl shouted at them.

With the promise of a big pay day, the henchponies moved in. Just as they did so, a large tarp went sailing over their heads, draping over them and blinding them. The henchponies struggled beneath the tarp, bumping to one another while trying to fight their way out from beneath it. Ahuizotl rubbed his temples, feeling very agitated by this point.

"You can't stay in there forever, Daring Do! You'll have to come out eventually!" Ahuizotl shouted.

"Put a lid on it!" Daring Do shouted from the darkness.

Squinting to see, Ahuizotl saw a pot come flying right at him and landing right on his head. Ahuizotl's angry voice was muffled by the pot, struggling to remove it from his head; flailing about. With a loud pop, Ahuizotl pulled the pot off his head to see Applejack's foot flying right at him. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do flew by, carrying Applejack by the arms, giving her the chance to kick Ahuizotl square in the face. Her hoof flattened his nose, sending him reeling on the spot, before crashing down hard on the ground. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash put her down just outside the entrance, the ruby wrapped in an old piece of tarp, slung around Daring Do's back.

"Let's get out of here!" Daring Do shouted, racing up the dirt path.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were galloping close behind her when Rainbow Dash stopped hard and turned back. Applejack slid to a stop, looking over her shoulder to see her racing back towards Ahuizotl.

"Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?" Applejack called after her.

Landing next to Ahuizotl, Rainbow Dash plucked the map being held by his fist tail.

"I'll be taking that." Rainbow Dash stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Easy squeezy lemon peezy…" Ahuizotl mumbled, still dazed from Applejack's kick.

With the henchponies becoming unraveled from their net like tarp, Rainbow Dash took to the air once more; soaring after Daring Do and Applejack who raced off into the jungle. Ahuizotl lay sprawled upon the ground, looking rather discombobulated while his henchponies tried to slap him make to his senses. After a couple of solid whacks, Ahuizotl started to come around, rubbing his head and regaining his composure.

"Where are they? Where's the gemstone?" Ahuizotl asked aloud.

"They got away, sir." Mugsy spoke up.

With all three of his hands suddenly clenching into fists, Ahuizotl gritted his teeth in anger as his face started to turn purple with anger. Leaning his head back, raising his arms into the air in frustration, screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Daring Doooooooooooo!" Ahuizotl cried.

Ahuizotl's voice could be heard echoing through the jungle, much to the amusement of Daring Do. Together, the three of them raced through the trees, trying to put a fair distance between them and the dig site. After a while, Daring Do had slowed down, winded and almost out of breath as Applejack and Rainbow Dash trotted up alongside her; equally exhausted.

"That was some quick thinking, Rainbow Dash." Daring Do complimented her; motioning to the map in her hoof.

"It was nothing." Rainbow Dash replied, trying to catch her breath.

"So what's the plan now?" Applejack asked, removing her hat to wipe her brow.

"Ahuizotl is going to be looking for us. He can't do anything without this ruby. We need to keep it away from him at all costs." Daring Do stated, patting the gemstone that rested within the sling.

A sudden snap of a tree branch had every pony turning to look behind them. With the ambience of the jungle it was hard to pinpoint where it exactly had come from. Rustling from the brush grew louder and louder, with Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and Applejack backing up slowly. From the brush, a figure moved into sight, the ghoulish mask appearing from the shadows.

"Every pony run for it!" Rainbow Dash shouted in fright.

Daring Do stared wide eyed at the sight of the ghoulish mask; awestruck at the sight of it. Applejack took off, flying past Daring Do who stood frozen in place. Rainbow Dash took hold of her arm, tugging on it hard, trying to force her to start moving. More of the Hom Dai appeared from the foliage, every ghoulish mask starting to give chase.

"Move it!" Rainbow Dash shouted at her.

Snapping back to her senses, Daring Do turned on the spot, tearing through the jungle with Rainbow Dash at her side; Applejack leading the way. Already tired from their sprint from the dig site, not to mention the weight of the ruby, Daring Do could feel her muscles starting to pain her, but her adrenaline kept her moving.

" **Ooga-chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga-Chaka!** " The Hom Dai chanted loudly, racing through the jungle after them.

"What are they saying?" Daring Do hollered, glancing over her shoulder.

"Who cares? Just keep running!" Rainbow Dash shouted back.

Applejack leaped over a large tree root, clearing the brush, but was suddenly met with the end of the jungle. A cliff marked the end of it, the jungle canopy down below seemed like an ocean of green, but Applejack was more occupied trying to stop her momentum. Digging her hooves into the dirt, sliding across the ground, feeling her back legs kick off the edge of the cliff face, Applejack hung just off the side.

"Whew!" Applejack breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as soon as Applejack had gotten a moment of respite, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash charged out from the tree line. Surprised by the sudden end of the trail, they both screamed, trying to throw on the brakes but slammed right into the hanging Applejack as the three of them tumbled off the side of the cliff. The three ponies screamed in terror, just for a moment, the shock wore off as Daring Do and Rainbow Dash opened their wings, catching the wind beneath them. Rocketing after Applejack, they managed to catch her before she got too close to the jungle canopy.

"You alright, Applejack?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding concerned.

"I think I preferred the snow over the jungle, to be honest." Applejack mumbled, heaving a relieved sigh.

Glancing back up at the edge of the cliff, every pony could see dozens of the Hom Dai standing at the brink, gazing at them. Eventually the Hom Dai returned to the forest, disappearing amongst the trees, giving the three of them a chance to rest.

"Let's find a place to land." Daring Do suggested, looking visibly tired.

Flying over the canopy, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do found a river cutting through the jungle. Gliding down, the two carefully dropped off Applejack before landing themselves. Every pony looked tired, but with the map and ruby in hoof they looked quite pleased with themselves.

"We make a pretty good team." Rainbow Dash said with an exhausted smile.

"You can say that again." Applejack concurred.

"I have to say, it would have been almost impossible to get this far without help. Thanks." Daring Do replied, with a nod. "I just can't believe the Hom Dai are real. I saw them with my own eyes."

"Freaky looking, aren't they?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That's just it, Rainbow Dash. Call me a sucker for believing in this sort of thing, but after what I just saw, I'm not so sure I can just dismiss it easily as superstitious nonsense anymore. The Hom Dai are here, the mask, the mural, and seeing them up close proves it. It's clear that Ahuizotl has upset the protectors of the jungle. If the legends are true, and the Hom Dai are cleansing the forest, we need to set things right." Daring Do said decisively.

"How are we going to do that?" Applejack asked, striding over to the river; splashing some water on her face.

"Rainbow Dash let me see that map." Daring Do asked.

Passing her the map, Daring Do laid it out on the ground, giving it a gander. It appeared to be an antic, although Ahuizotl had tarnished it with his markings. Although it did give her a glimpse into what his plan was.

"This map is hundreds of years old. The inscriptions are some of the earliest writings of the Jungle Ponies. From what I can tell, there are two temples. This right here is where Ahuizotl's dig site was." Daring Do stated, pointing to the x on the map.

"What's in the other temple?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. He called the ruby the key which means that it will probably unlock something at this temple." Daring Do hazard a guess.

"That first temple was buried underground, what if this other one is too?" Applejack asked, feeling uncertain about this.

"We'll just have to chance it. The Hom Dai are going to continue to cleanse the forest until we ensure that the Heart of the Jungle is protected." Daring Do said rolling up the map.

"Again, how are we going to do that?" Applejack asked looking puzzled. "Those mask wearing ghouls didn't seem too happy to see us."

"Maybe we can just bury it? Ahuizotl would never find it and the Heart of the Jungle will be safe once again." Rainbow Dash offered.

"Ahuizotl has set things in motion; by association we're equally as guilty to disturbing the Heart of the Jungle by taking this." Daring DO explained.

"But we're the good guys." Rainbow Dash said in their defense.

"At this point, the Hom Dai won't care which pony is on what side. To them we're intruders trying to steal the Heart, just like Ahuizotl." Daring Do commented, approaching the river to wash off the dry mud on her hide. "Our only chance is to find the Heart of the Jungle ourselves and use it to stop the Hom Dai before they cleanse the entire jungle."

"What if we can't find the Heart of the Jungle?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding concerned.

"If we somehow manage to escape, the Hom Dai will continue to cleanse the entire jungle and any pony or creature unfortunate enough to enter it. Every jungle village, every tourist, animal, explorer, what have you will become victims of the Hom Dai's wrath." Daring Do said narrowing her eyes.


	21. Chapter 21: Jungle Fugue (Part 1)

The journey to the temple was not an easy one for Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. First being the map they had procured from Ahuizotl being hundreds of years old, making it difficult to navigate hundreds of years of continuous expanding jungle. The next problem they faced was that Applejack could not fly, which meant making the journey on hoof. Having to deal with the mud, the heat, sudden showers from passing rain clouds, more mud, thorny bushes, maze like trails, more mud, bugs, and even a shrubbery or two. Each pony took a turn lugging the ruby through the jungle, no pony was happy to have it be their turn but the pony handing it over was more than happy.

"How much further?" Rainbow Dash asked with a whine; dragging her hooves as she walked.

"I'll check the map." Daring Do replied; noticeably fed up with the jungle. "Take five every pony."

Applejack, the unfortunate pony whose turn it was to carry the ruby, slumped against a tree; fanning herself with her hat. Rainbow Dash opted to simply collapse on the ground to take her breather. Daring Do unrolled the map, trying to determine their starting point at the river, and to where they could be right now.

"If I'm reading this right, we should be on the other side of a large rock arch that connects to the mountain, and nearing a waterfall to the west." Daring Do stated.

Glancing over her shoulder, Daring Do could see that neither Rainbow Dash nor Applejack seemed willing or able to check their location. Daring Do was used to this sort of exploring, the rough and tough lifestyle that she had gotten used to over the years; it was too much to ask from non-veteran explorers.

"You ponies stay here; I'll fly up and see where we're at." Daring Do said, getting a nod from both of them.

Leaping up towards the jungle canopy, Daring Do weaved through the branches of the trees before clearing the leaves into the open air. Soaring higher, Daring Do looked around to get an idea of where they were. To her amusement, her map reading skills had not dimmed, for they were on the other side of stone arch that branched out from the mountain. Looking towards the west, a large cliff spouted a waterfall in the far off distance. Soaring a bit higher, Daring Do scanned the jungle canopy looking for any sign of the temple. From her height, she could make out something that looked to be stone amongst the trees, but without moving closer there was no way to tell if it was the temple. Not wanting to risk losing Applejack and Rainbow Dash in the jungle and go exploring on her own, Daring Do soared back towards the jungle floor.

"Good news every pony, we're nearly there. Just half a day's hike from here." Daring Do reported to them.

"That's great." Applejack said, sounding more tired than excited.

"Yea… great." Rainbow Dash mumbled, looking none too happy.

"But… we can make camp here for tonight." Daring Do added, seeing as it would be best to have them rested.

Nighttime in the jungle was not too different from it being day. It still rained off and on without much warning, bugs, mud, ambient jungle noises, but it was rather dark from the jungle canopy blocking the starlight from getting through. It was difficult for Daring Do to start a campfire for them; everything in the jungle was so healthy and green that there wasn't anything to really burn. Luckily, Daring Do had used the last bit of daylight to make an awning out of branches and leaves; placed across two large roots at the base of a tree. It provided them with a makeshift shelter for the night. The three ponies helped clear the ground of rocks and sticks, before laying down some leaves to make it even mildly more comfortable. With no fire, and some wild fruit Daring Do said was okay to eat, every pony crowded under the awning to get some sleep.

"Can't say that this has been one of my more enjoyable camping experiences." Applejack mentioned.

"I'll say." Rainbow Dash muttered, tossing a missed rock out from under the awning.

"You get used to it." Daring Do replied, laying on her side; holding onto the ruby.

A couple of minutes went by. Silence amongst them, the jungle was very much alive at night as it was during the day.

"So… Daring Do, have you started writing another book yet?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Sorry, Rainbow Dash, I haven't had time to start writing another one. I've been busy looking for Floe's Obelisks." Daring Do replied apologetically.

"How long have you been in this jungle?" Applejack asked, from the other side of Applejack.

"It's been almost two weeks. I haven't found anything yet." Daring Do answered, sounding a bit annoyed by her own shortcoming.

The three ponies fell silent again. This time, it was Daring Do who found herself wanting to talk.

"Why _did_ Floe send the two of you out here anyways?" Daring Do asked curiously.

"He got grounded." Rainbow Dash replied.

"What?" Daring Do asked, sounding confused.

"To be honest, it was Princess Sapphire's idea to split us up and search for these Obelisks. Floe was kind enough to let us take his place; aside from being grounded by the Queen." Applejack explained it a bit more in detail.

"Yeah… but why?" Daring Do asked, still not making a connection.

"We're trying to rescue a friend of ours." Rainbow Dash said, trying to roll onto her side.

"With the Obelisks?" Daring Do asked, sounding even more confused.

"These Obelisks hold some sort of power that can open a portal to a place called the Void. The King of the Flame Ponies, our friend Smolder, is trapped in there and we're trying to get him out." Applejack explained again, going into more detail.

"He's a King?" Daring Do asked curiously.

"For like a day." Rainbow Dash added.

"A day?" Daring Do asked in surprise.

"That's when the dumb Orc attacked with an army of spiders and a really, really, really big dragon." Rainbow Dash mentioned.

Daring Do rolled over, her face looking very confused if not unconvinced that they were being serious.

"I was underground searching for an Obelisk in the Lair of Spiders." Applejack mumbled.

"It's a whole thing; we can talk about it over breakfast tomorrow." Rainbow Dash said, becoming noticeably sleepy.

Daring Do rolled back over. She was almost wide awake now, imagining a giant dragon attacking a castle, the army of spiders that swarmed across the battlefield, visualizing Rainbow and Applejack along with the rest of their friends on the front line ready to battle this threat.

"So… you and your friends are traveling all over Equestria to find these missing Obelisks, all just to save one pony?" Daring Do asked trying to sum up their mission.

"He's our friend; of course we're going to save him." Rainbow Dash replied with a yawn.

Daring Do smiled to herself. She couldn't explain it, but there was just something magical about the whole idea.

"You ponies are really something, you know that?" Daring Do asked with admiration.

Instead of a response, Daring Do could hear the soft snoring coming from the two of them. Chuckling to herself, Daring Do did her best to get comfortable before shutting her eyes to fall asleep.

* * *

"No pony sleeps until we find Daring Do and her thieving friends!" Ahuizotl shouted.

In another part of the jungle, Ahuizotl and the henchponies were trekking their way through the night; searching under every rock, leaf, and root for the missing ruby. The torches from henchponies hooves casted shadows of the foliage around them against the dense trees while they looked for Daring Do; making it look like some dark figures were ducking from tree to tree.

"The next time we try and steal something, it better be on some nice sandy beach or something. I've had just about enough of this jungle." A henchpony remarked, swatting away a cluster of flies buzzing round his head.

"We find that ruby and we can buy our own island with all the sandy beaches we want." Ahuizotl replied, hoping to peak his interest.

The henchponies searched on, having followed the trail up to a cliff earlier in the day, only to find it leading right off its edge. The climb down from the cliff face had taken time, and it had taken several hours more to find the trail once more. Unfortunately for Ahuizotl, Daring Do had masked her trail a ways after the river, forcing him to fan out to cover more of the jungle for any signs of where they might have gone.

"How are we supposed to find Daring Do? Even if we did pick up her trail, she'll have run off to put it in some museum somewhere by now." A henchpony mentioned.

"If that were the case, she would not have stolen our map. She means to find the Heart of the Jungle before us." Ahuizotl explained, rubbing his jaw; still feeling the hoof kick to his face.

"Good bye to our bonuses." Mumbled a discouraged henchpony.

"Fear not my subordinates! Daring Do may have the map, but she does not have my keen sense of smell." Ahuizotl declared to them, pointing to his nose.

"Sir?" Mugsy asked, looking confused.

"Daring Do left behind her disguise, which is more than enough for me to hunt her scent." Ahuizotl explained, revealing a headband from his hand tail.

* * *

The morning sunlight broke over the ridge, illuminating the jungle canopy, reflecting the misty droplets like stars. Daring Do was first to rise from the sudden bellowing of a monkey's call echoing through the jungle. Night had come and gone for faster than Daring Do would have liked, wishing for another couple hour's sleep, but the large ruby beside her was a big reminder of the necessity of getting an early start. Rising to her hooves, Daring Do stretched out, feeling several joints cracking, giving her an instant sense of relief. Glancing over at the snoozing Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Daring Do felt bad to wake them so early but their mission took priority.

"Maybe… next time we can… bring some sleeping bags or something." Rainbow Dash asked, yawning periodically.

"Or at least some snacks." Applejack mentioned, having only a hoof full of wild berries Daring Do had managed to scrounge up.

"We're getting close to the temple, every pony, we don't know what we'll find but we need to have our wits about us." Daring Do stated, the roar of the waterfall echoing in the distance.

It had only been about three hours' worth of a hike, the terrain more forgiving then yesterday. Stepping through the brush, Daring Do's hoof stepped upon solid rock, a pony made path, covered by the overgrowth of the trees around it. Taking it as a good sign, Daring Do led them down the stone path that seemed to have had quite a bit of vines and foliage obscuring from years of neglect. Stepping through, Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash found themselves at the perimeter of a large stone temple of the ancient Jungle Ponies. At least five layers of the structure, stacked upon one another, each a size smaller than the last, giving it a pyramid shape look. The stone path leading to the base of the temple were lined with several marble obelisks, several dome shaped building spotted the edges around the temple, while the entire area seemed splotched with foliage; the jungle slowly taking back the temple.

"Are we the first ponies to discover this?" Rainbow Dash asked in amazement.

"Technically, we'd be the ponies who _re-discovered_ this place." Daring Do corrected her.

"Do we get to name it?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

"It doesn't work like that, Rainbow." Daring Do replied.

"So where do we go from here?" Applejack asked, looking towards the temple.

"Let's start by exploring those domes, and learn whatever we can before tackling the temple." Daring Do instructed.

"Right." Applejack and Rainbow Dash said together.

The temple was abandoned long ago, that so much plant life was taking root and growing among the ground was enough for any pony to see that no pony had been here in years. The first domed building was completely flat on the inside, several pillars that held up the dome were all that kept a pony from entering; spacious to say the least. Drawing their eyes towards the ceiling, the underside of the dome, every pony could see an immense mural drawn above her. Aged considerably, due to the elements, but the paintings were rich and colorful giving them some idea to what was left.

This dome depicted several different looking Jungle Pony tribes, each having distinct features and markings that separated them from the others. Gold rings sectioned them off, while the rest of the mural depicted the jungle. Large splotches of stone were visible, bare of any paint, having been lost to time.

"What do you think it is?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I believe it depicts the different tribes of ancient Jungle Ponies, before the Heart of the Jungle came to be." Daring Do remarked, admiring the murals.

"Does it tell us anything useful?" Applejack asked curiously.

"Nothing that we need to know." Daring Do remarked.

Dropping her gaze to the next dome building, several yards away, Daring Do had a good guess that the next dome would have another mural waiting for her.

Reaching the second dome took only minutes, again the building was empty, but the mural underneath was still visible to her. The painting upon this one was less weathered then the other, depicting several battles amongst the tribes of Jungle Ponies, sectioned off by great bolts of lightning that stemmed from the center of the of the dome. The three ponies looked at it curiously.

"This one is pretty straight forward." Daring Do stated, gazing up the ceiling.

"Looks like they were at war with each other." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"I guess so." Applejack remarked; was wondering if Twilight would have been the better choice for this sort of thing.

Turning to the third dome building off to the side, knowing that the next would probably be continue this story, the three ponies hurried over to see what that one would tell.

Entering the third dome, every pony looked towards the ceiling to be completely baffled by what it held. The mural was the worst of the three, probably for good reason, for the mural depicted a large mess of black and purple that seemed to cover the whole underside of the ceiling. Splotches of bare stone were present but none that seemed to give more information than this blackness.

"I guess some pony got tired of painting." Applejack mumbled.

"This doesn't make any sense." Daring Do remarked, sounding a bit confused and annoyed.

"You can say that again." Rainbow Dash added.

"It looks like they intentionally painted over this mural." Daring Do stated.

"Maybe the other last one will give us a better clue." Applejack offered.

Looking towards the fourth dome, every pony was shocked to see it smashed. Rushing over to see the extent of the damage, it appeared that a large tree had fallen over in past years, smashing the dome, leaving it in pieces; making it nearly impossible to know what it held without a team of archeology ponies here to restore it.

"Well this is some rotten luck." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"We're right back to where we started." Daring Do said bitterly.

"It seems like even the Jungle Ponies wanted to keep this Heart a secret." Applejack said.

"Well, we're going to need uncover this secret if we want to stop the Hom Dai." Daring Do replied, heading towards the temple.

The temple was extremely large. The five tiers had four staircases that led up to very top of the temple. Climbing the steps was extremely hard, due to the steps being unnecessarily narrow, causing each pony to slip every now and again. Nearing the top of the temple, every pony could see a small platform in the center; flat like a table. It had no real markings, just weathered from the elements from the years that had passed. Above it was a large clear golden crystal that was embedded into the ceiling that covered the small platform. Needless to say, the crystal itself looked very valuable if not heavy.

"Rarity is never going to believe this." Rainbow Dash mumbled, floating up to the crystal and tapping it with her hoof.

"What do you think it's for?" Applejack asked curiously; running her hoof over the platform.

"I'm not sure." Daring Do remarked examining it.

Stepping back to get a better look at it, Daring Do felt her hoof sink into the stone. Lifting her hoof, the stone proceeded to rise back up; acting like a button. Quickly stepping to the right of the platform, Daring Do looked for what she believed to be another button, and to her excitement she found another.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack, come here and stand on one of these buttons." Daring Do instructed.

Doing as they were told, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood on their respective buttons, while Daring Do stood upon one herself. Unfortunately, they seemed one pony short to press the last button.

"Now what?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

Daring Do thought for a moment. Her face lit up from the idea she just had, removing the ruby from her pouch, Daring Do placed it upon the last button before returning to her own. With all the buttons pressed, the temple shook for a moment. The sounds of stone sliding against one another, loud thumps of stones dropping from within the temple could be heard as the platform started to slide down before them. Just as the platform reached the floor, a larger platform around them started to lower itself into temple below.

"This is so cool." Rainbow Dash said, clearly enjoying herself.

The inside of the temple was expansive. The tiers were not floors, merely shelves in which the Jungle Ponies used to store their vast history in the form of statues and decorations. More murals lined the walls, history painted like timelines that depicted the different tribes of the Jungle Ponies. Yet the platform continued to lower itself to the ground level. The stone slid within one another, the platform coming to a stop as the lower tier had been reached. The buttons beneath their hooves clicked up, the platform suddenly starting to rotate, each set of stones rotating in different directions, causing every pony to lose balance. Desperately trying to stay on their hooves, the center platform began to rise once more. A metal frame, rusted and old rose up out of the ground, it held a base for which something needed to be placed. The rotating stones topped with a loud thud that echoed through the temple, Daring Do, Applejack and Rainbow Dash approaching the metal basin to get a better look.

"So what gives?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously

"I'm not sure, but I got a feeling that this is where the ruby comes into play." Daring Do remarked.

Scooping up the ruby off the ground, Daring Do heaved it up onto the basin, noticing the metal basin start click due to the weight. The metal prongs sprang up around the ruby, holding it in place as it sunk into the stone, leaving not but the tip exposed. With a loud click, there came a sudden flow of black liquid that ran from the sides of the metal basin.

"Step back every pony!" Daring Do declared.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack took a few steps back as told. Daring Do lightly tapped the liquid with her hoof, bringing it to her nose to sniff it.

"Oil." Daring Do reported.

"Oil?" Applejack asked in surprise.

"Oil." Daring Do said with a smile.

Retrieving her flint and steel from her pocket, she motioned for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to stand clear of the liquid. With a few strikes, the sparks ignited the oil. A trail of fire illuminating the groves of the platform they stood upon, and streaking up into the basin of the ruby. The fire illuminated the ruby, causing to glow something fierce, a sudden red beam of light shot towards the ceiling, striking the large golden crystal near the top.

"It's a beacon!" Daring Do shouted in excitement.

Leaping into the air, Daring Do soared up towards the ceiling, to see what was happening. Rainbow Dash and Applejack remained at the bottom of the platform, watching her sail up and out of the top temple.

"Can you see anything?" Rainbow Dash asked, shouting her question up to her.

Daring Do flew around the top of the temple; the top tier had nine circular golden gems facing in every direction, dusty and old. Using the side of her arm, Daring Do started to polish each one, but none seemed to do anything. Nearing the last one though, beam of red light emerged from behind the crystal, nearly blinding Daring Do. Floating to the side, she could it shooting towards the west side of the mountain. Excited at this development, Daring Do quickly returned to the edge of the hole to shout down to them.

"It is a beacon! It's pointing us to where we need to go!" Daring Do shouted down to them.

"Does that mean we're going to be hiking some more?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding rather disappointed.

"Don't worry! I think that we-HEY!" Daring Do cut herself short after suddenly being pulled from view.

"Daring Do!" Rainbow Dash shouted in panic.

Blasting off towards the opening of the top of the temple, Rainbow Dash was suddenly met with a large tarp being thrown over the top. Colliding with the tarp, Rainbow Dash got herself wrapped up into as she was pulled out of sight as well.

"What's going on up there?" Applejack shouted, sounding worried.

A loud obnoxious laugh could be heard echoing into the temple as Ahuizotl stepped into view near the top of the temple's opening. Several henchponies poked their heads over the side to laugh along with Ahuizotl.

"Let me go!" Daring Do shouted, struggling against Ahuizotl's tail hand.

"This handsome face isn't just the ladies, you thought you were being clever but I got one over on you this time, Daring Dolt." Ahuizotl said, lightly slapping her headband from her disguise atop her head.

"Let my friends go!" Applejack demanded, stomping her hoof.

"Sorry, but you're in no position to make demands, eh… um… what is your name again?" Ahuizotl asked curiously, looking down into the temple.

"Applejack." Applejack stated.

"Right, Applejack. Well thanks for all your help, but we really must be off. Heart of the Jungle and all that jazz. I hope you like your new home, I'm sure you'll be staying here for quite some time." Ahuizotl stated.

"Come down here and say that you blue baboon!" Applejack shouted angrily.

"Loved to, can't, I have a world to conquer. Goodbye, Apple Snacks." Ahuizotl replied.

"It's Applejack." Applejack mumbled, sitting down in defeat.

Ahuizotl laughed aloud, his voice slowly trailing away, mixed with the laughs of the henchponies. Applejack sat at the bottom of the temple, looking around, watching the fire start to burn out. Without wings, getting out was going to be a problem, especially since she didn't know how to make this platform go in reverse, but worst of all her friends were in trouble and she couldn't do anything to help them.

"There's got to be another way out of here." Applejack stated defiantly.

Several hours had passed. Applejack had explored every inch of the bottom of the temple, looking for a way out; finding nothing, not so much as a crack that led to the outside. Trying everything from removing the ruby, to pressing in all the buttons, the platform would not move and the hopes of escaping started to fade away. Sitting down, up against the platform, the ruby at her side, Applejack sighed remorsefully wondering what she was going to do now.

"What am I going to do now?" Applejack asked herself.

A sudden lurch from the stone beneath her caused Applejack to flinch, the platform started to revolve once more, and lifting back up towards the top of the temple. Applejack clung to the ruby, riding the platform all the way up, feeling a sense of relief and wonder about her predicament. With the platform reaching the top, Applejack looked around to see no pony waiting for her.

"H-H-Hello?" Applejack called out.

" **Ooga-Chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga- Chaka**!" An all too familiar chant reached her ears.

Nervously peering over the side of the temple, Applejack could see dozen upon dozen of the ghoulish masks climbing the temple towards her. Back pedaling quickly, Applejack rushed over to the opposite side to try and get away and nearly ran right into one of the Hom Dai. Backing away, Applejack could see that the Hom Dai surrounding her, blocking every escape she had.

"H-H-Hey there, partners." Applejack mumbled, nervously.

" **Ooga-Chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga- Chaka**!"


	22. Chapter 22: Jungle Fugue (Part 2)

Night had fallen on the jungle once more. Ahuizotl and his henchponies were only a few miles away from the base of the mountain, having followed the direction the beam of light had shown. Deciding to make camp to dispose of Daring Do once and for all, and celebrate their victory. The henchponies drank their rationed barrel of apple cider, toasting one another on a job well done, Ahuizotl feast upon a vine of grapes, sporting Daring Do's hat as his trophy. A large bonfire had been built; a few tents were set up, while Daring Do and Rainbow Dash looked on in grimace. Off to the side Daring Do and Rainbow Dash were bound together, their wings and hooves tied separately, an extra precaution they henchponies had taken, and left hanging from a tree branch.

"Any ideas on how we're getting out of this?" Rainbow Dash asked in a whisper.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." Daring Do hissed, wracking her brain for ideas.

Ahuizotl gathered his henchponies around him, taking Daring Do's hat from his head and placing it upon Mugsy's as he made his way over to them. Poking them with his hand tail, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash swayed back and forth.

"For the first time, and the last time, it appears you are not the better pony, Daring Do." Ahuizotl began, bopping her on the nose with her finger.

All the henchponies cheered in their agreement.

"Keep telling yourself that, dog breath." Daring Do sneered at him.

"Let us go you flea bitten monkey mutt!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily.

"Oh, I will, you don't know how long I've waited for this day. How many hours I spent devising ways to do away with your Daring Do, but I'm sad to say that none of them involved a jungle." Ahuizotl said, looking rather sad.

"You just continue to disappoint." Daring Do said snidely.

"So I decided to create a focus group with my henchponies, brainstorm some ideas and we all came together and thought up something just so wonderful that I think you'll enjoy." Ahuizotl said enthusiastically.

"It was my idea." Mugsy chimed in.

"You're going to burn us at the stake?" Daring Do asked, glancing at the bonfire.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked in horror.

"No, we found that to be a bit much. No pony wants to deal with the clean-up." Mugsy spoke up.

"So we decided to simply let nature do away with you." Ahuizotl said with an evil grin.

"How so?" Daring Do asked.

Ahuizotl's hand tail reached up towards the tree branch, unraveling the rope that kept them aloft. Plopping to the ground, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash groaned from the drop; unsure what awaited them. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do suddenly felt themselves sink a quarter inch into the ground. Looking down around them, they realized they were dropped into quicksand, slowly being gobbled up by the earth. Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder at Daring Do, wondering if she had a plan, but Daring Do looked unsure herself.

"Alright, every pony, let's divide up Daring Do's and her friends belongings!" Ahuizotl shouted, getting another roar of cheers from his henchponies...

"Alright! Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" The henchponies exclaimed over one another.

"Now every pony has a raffle ticket, when your number is called you get whatever Ahuizotl pulls out of the bag." Mugsy informed every pony.

"Are they serious?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.

"Just ignore them, and try and find a way out of this." Daring Do hissed at her.

"Our first item will be the illustrious hat of Daring Do!" Ahuizotl shouted, holding the hat high in the air.

"Hey!" Daring Do shouted in frustration.

"Who has number three-seven-two-seven?" Mugsy asked allowed.

"That's me! That's me!" A henchpony cried, waving his ticket in the air.

Ahuizotl took the ticket from the henchpony, before giving him Daring Do's hat which he promptly put on his head getting several cat calls from the other henchponies.

"When I get out of here, I'm going to hit them so hard, they'll need to use that dental plan." Daring Do muttered, struggling against her binds; feeling the quick sand pull them under a bit more.

"Next up is…" Ahuizotl started again, digging around the bag. "A… really ugly mask!"

The henchponies seemed rather turned off by the mask. The way ghoulish masked looked didn't seem to have any pony wanting it, even Ahuizotl looked at it with a strange and confused look.

"What the hay is that?" A henchpony asked aloud.

"Looks like your mama!" Another henchpony shouted.

"What did you say?" The henchpony asked, taking offense to that.

"Is it worth anything?" Another henchpony asked.

"It's worth your life." Daring Do spoke up.

Every henchpony turned to look at her, Ahuizotl as well, still holding the mask. Stepping over towards the quicksand, Ahuizotl pressed his finger atop Daring Do's head, trying to sink her a bit faster.

"I'm not sure why they call it quicksand; it seems to be working very slowly." Ahuizotl remarked.

"Why's it worth our life?" Mugsy asked aloud.

"Did Ahuizotl not tell you about the legend of the Heart of the Jungle?" Daring Do asked curiously.

"Yeah, whoever has the Heart of the Jungle has the power to defeat any adversary." A henchpony replied.

"Did he mention the Hom Dai?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"The Hom Dai aren't real." Ahuizotl hissed at the two of them.

"What's the Home Buy?" Mugsy asked curiously.

"The _Hom Dai_ are horrid creatures that wear those masks, sworn to protect the Heart of the Jungle, promising to cleanse the forest if any pony dare try and take it." Daring Do warned them.

"W-W-W-Why would we want the mask then?" Asked a henchpony.

"Well, when the Hom Dai come to drag you into their world of eternal pain and suffering, at least one of you will slip away by disguising yourself as one of them." Daring Do replied.

Every henchpony glanced at Daring Do, then at the mask, back at Daring Do, and then back at the mask Ahuizotl was holding. Almost every pony made a mad dash to grab it from him, wrestling with one another to get closer to it while Ahuizotl had to push and show the ponies away from him; holding the mask out of reach.

"There is no Hom Dai you stupid ponies! It is another one of Daring Do's tricks! The Hom Dai are merely legend; a story to scare the little jungle foals so they don't go wandering around the jungle on their own!" Ahuizotl shouted at them.

"We saw them! They chased us right after we took the ruby and before when we found that abandoned Jungle Pony village." Rainbow Dash said aloud.

"Why was it abandoned?" Mugsy asked, looking very nervous now.

"The Hom Dai don't pick and choose their victims, as long as you are in their jungle, you will be cleansed." Daring Do said in a very ominous voice.

All the henchponies were looking very frightened now, jumping at every noise, and looking about the jungle as if waiting for the Hom Dai to appear.

"Fools! Daring Do is simply trying to scare you! This mask is nothing more than a Jungle Pony Nightmare Night costume! Get a hold of yourselves and stop being a bunch of babies!" Ahuizotl shouted at them. "I'll even prove it to you!"

Ahuizotl walked over to the bonfire, tossing the mask into the flames, the wood immediately caught fire, burning rapidly, and crackling with the rest of the wood.

"There are no Hom Dai, no pony should be afraid of Daring Do's lies. In a matter of minutes she'll be gone and the Heart of the Jungle shall be ours!" Ahuizotl shouted in triumphant.

Every henchpony looked rather rattled, trying their best to find the excitement they once had before. None seemed so eager to be celebrating, sticking rather close together, no pony wanting to be singled out in fear of being nabbed by a Hom Dai.

"Come on, every pony; let's get on with the raffle! I have Daring Do's compass to give away next!" Ahuizotl shouted, trying to win them back.

All of his henchponies stepped back from him. Looks of fright and horror strewn across their faces. Unsure of what was going on, Ahuizotl felt Mugsy tugging on his arm trying to get his attention.

"S-S-S-S-Sir?" Mugsy stammered nervously.

"What is it, Mugsy? What?" Ahuizotl asked.

Mugsy pointed behind him, towards the other end of the camp. Turning to look, Ahuizotl saw a creature standing several yards away, barely illuminated by the bonfire, wearing a similar ghoulish mask. Ahuizotl was quick to front himself at the mask wearing intruder, pounding his chest with his fists, before thrusting out his chest.

"You can't fool me, Daring Do! I know this is one of your tricks!" Ahuizotl shouted, looking over to Daring Do.

Daring Do looked equally as worried as his henchponies, making him a bit nervous seeing Daring Do so unlike her brave self. Rustling from the brush around them, more of the ghoulish masks appeared, plentiful in number, nearly thirty by a quick count.

" **Ooga-Chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga- Chaka**!"

"What in Celestia's name is going on?" A henchpony cried in fright.

"The Hom Dai…" Daring Do whispered, her own heart starting to race.

"Every pony run for your lives!" Rainbow Dash shouted, struggling to get free.

Several henchponies had taken her advice, running towards the tree line. The sudden emergence of several ghoulish masked appeared from the bushes, stopping them hard in their tracks. All around the campsite, ghoulish masks were appearing, their chanting rising louder and louder. The henchponies screamed in fright, racing past Ahuizotl, past Rainbow Dash and Daring Do.

"We're sorry! Ahuizotl made us do it!" Some of the henchponies shouted. "I just wanted to pay off my student loans!"

Ahuizotl's henchponies sprinted off in a mad dash down the path they had come from. Leaving nothing but a trail of dust in their wake while a group of the Hom Dai gave chase; the rest approached Ahuizotl who was nearly purple in the face from his anger.

"Get back here you cowards! How dare you abandon me!" Ahuizotl shouted in outrage.

" **Ooga-Chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga- Chaka**!"

The Hom Dai were surrounding Ahuizotl, their chanting never ceasing. Ahuizotl straightened up, his arms raised in the air; ready to challenge the Hom Dai.

"The Heart of the Jungle is mine and no mask wearing spirits are going to stop me!" Ahuizotl declared.

Ahuizotl watched as the Hom Dai stopped dead in their chanting. He blinked a few times; unsure of what had happened when the closest ghoulish mask pulled out a machete. Like a wave of silver, the Hom Dai brandished sickles, knives, swords, machetes, axes, and one even seemed to have scissors. The color had drained from Ahuizotl's face; the sound of the snipping scissors sent him over the deep end as he leaped over the group of Hom Dai chasing after his henchponies into the jungle.

"Wait for me, Mugsy!" Ahuizotl shouted in terror.

The quicksand now nearing their necks, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash watched as they focus of the Hom Dai turned to them.

"Daring Do?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah?" Daring Do replied.

"Even though we're about to be dragged into their lair of eternal suffering, or suffocate in this here quicksand… I'm glad that I got to share in an adventure with you." Rainbow Dash said meekly.

"As far as adventures go… having you and Applejack around made it ten times better, because I have some ponies to share it with." Daring Do replied.

" **Ooga-Chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga- Chaka**!"

The Hom Dai took hold of the bindings of Rainbow Dash and Daring Do, pulling them from the quicksand. Now free from one moral peril, the Hom Dai dragged them into the forest sure to be bringing them to a new fresh set of horrors.

"Would you think I was a coward for screaming help?" Rainbow Dash asked in a frightened voice.

"Not at all, allow me to join you." Daring Do replied, sounding just as freaked out.

"HELP!" Daring Do and Rainbow Dash shouted aloud.

Through the jungle the Hom Dai dragged them, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do's voices had become hoarse from shouting but they squirmed regardless hoping to break free. The Hom Dai brought them into a clearing, near the base of the mountain, a large cave, half covered by the moss that clung to it, was lit by magical glowing rocks; similar to the one they saw Princess Sapphire use in the Frozen North. Being tossed forward towards the cave, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash were sat upright, while the Hom Dai began their chanting once more.

" **Ooga-Chaka! Ooga-Ooga! Ooga- Chaka**!"

From the mouth of the cave, the most fiendish and ghoulish looking mask by far emerged, quite possibly their leader; its mask nearly twice the size of the others. With it, the Hom Dai leader carried a large staff that head several pony shaped skulls clattering against one another at the top. The Leader of the Hom Dai approached the Daring Do and Rainbow Dash, striking its staff down before them, silently gazing at them as the chanting quickly died away.

"W-W-W-We come in peace?" Rainbow Dash mumbled, shaking nervously.

The Hom Dai leaned in closer to them, its giant mask coming very close to their faces. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do did their best to smile, but their fear was making them shake all over.

"Hold on their, partner!" A familiar voice shouted out.

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do perked up in disbelief at her voice. The Hom Dai Leader stepped aside, revealing Applejack trotting out from the cave entrance, looking completely fine.

"Applejack? What the hay are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.

"Chieftain Talon, sir, these here ponies are my friends, the ones that were trying to protect the Heart of the Jungle." Applejack said to the Leader of the Hom Dai.

"Chieftain?" Daring Do asked in surprise.

The Leader of the Hom Dai lifted the mask from its face, revealing a rather handsome Jungle Pony underneath it.

"Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, I would like you to meet Talon; the chieftain of Jungle Ponies." Applejack introduced him.

All around them the Hom Dai began removing their masks, disrobing their cloaks, revealing themselves to be Jungle Ponies. They were earth tone in color, each Jungle Pony had a different style of tattoos, ranging in different colors, but Talon himself had a cutie mark of a tribal mask, his hide a deep brown, and his tattoos were white like snow; mostly tribal and ceremonial markings. His mane was a jet black.

"I am Talon, sworn protector of the Heart of the Jungle, as are all of my ponies. On behalf of our tribe I want to thank you for your help in keeping that blue creature from reaching the Heart." Talon introduced himself; motioning to the Jungle Ponies.

The Jungle Ponies cut Daring Do and Rainbow Dash free. Giving Rainbow Dash the chance to embrace Applejack, happy to see that she was alright, while Daring Do was offered a hoof from Talon to get her back on her own hooves. Flushing slightly at the grip Talon had, Daring Do was helped up still looking quite confused.

"So you ponies aren't really evil spirits, but just ponies using the legend to scare away would by thieves?" Daring Do asked in amazement.

"When we learned of this blue creature's intent of taking the Heart for himself, we mobilized to bring forth the legend of the Hom Dai. Our ancestors used it to protect the Heart of the Jungle from neighboring factions outside the Jungle provinces but in the past years we've only scared away second rate treasure hunters but this Ahuizotl proved to be a much more viable threat." Talon explained to them.

"So you ponies are the ones that have been chasing us and scaring the living daylights out of us?" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.

"We had no idea who we could trust; we didn't want to reveal ourselves and chance that things would come to violence. We wanted to simply scare every pony away." Talon stated.

"Well a job well done." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"We were surprised that you ponies had gotten as far as you did. When we came to the temple we found our friend, Applejack, trapped inside. Believing she was working with the blue creature we decided to take her hostage to see what we could get out of her." Talon continued.

"I told them that we were trying to stop Ahuizotl from stealing the Heart of the Jungle, that we stole the ruby to stop him from getting to it, and that we were going to use the Heart of the Jungle to stop the Hom Dai from cleansing the jungle." Applejack reported.

"An interesting idea to say the least, but Applejack's honesty swayed us to trust her. We kept her here for her own safety and went to look for her missing friends, said to have been abducted by the blue creature." Talon concluded.

"Well, thanks for saving us." Daring Do mentioned.

From the brush, a group of the Hom Dai, still masked emerged; the group that had broken off to chase the henchponies. Talon approached them, his Jungle Ponies removing their masks to speak.

"Chieftain, we've routed the intruders to Beggar's Canyon, the blue creature was with them, and by the way they were running they'll be out of our jungle before daybreak." The Jungle Pony reported.

"Excellent, have two of scouts check the canyon in the morning to ensure that the blue creature and its helpers have left." Talon instructed.

"We also recovered this, Chieftain." The Jungle Pony added.

Talon was given Daring Do's hat, looking it over; he turned to the three ponies, holding it up if it belonged to any of them.

"Mine! That's mine!" Daring Do said quickly, taking it from him.

"So the abandon village was your village then, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"That is correct. We brought our children to safe place while my most skillful Jungle Ponies donned the Hom Dai masks to search the jungle for the blue creature." Talon explained.

"I guess this means that the Heart of the Jungle is safe, seeing as Ahuizotl went running with his tail between his legs." Rainbow Dash stated.

"Not quite." Talon remarked, the Jungle Ponies suddenly coming to attention.

Daring Do, Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped closer to one another, realizing that the Chieftain wasn't about to let them go that easily. Stepping towards them, his staff striking the ground once more, the pony skulls dancing about; he stared at them with his steely eyes.

"If you did not come here to steal the Heart of the Jungle, then _why_ are you here?" Talon asked suspiciously.

"We're here on a research mission, led by me, to find some Obelisks for Court Wizard Floe in the Frozen North. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are part of my team who are here to help me find them." Daring Do answered, sounding very convincing.

"The affairs of the Ice Kingdom do not concern us; we do not allow any pony to desecrate our ruins for the whims of rich and pompous ponies. We are grateful for your help in keeping the gemstone from the blue creature but your mission ends here." Talon stated decisively. "My ponies will escort you to the edge of the jungle where you can find a settlement a few miles north of here that can help you get home."

"W-W-Wait! Chieftain Talon, if you would just here me out, I'm Daring Do, I'm-" Daring Do started but Talon shut her down.

"I am sorry, but you have overstayed your welcome." Talon stated.

Talon turned to leave, heading back towards the mouth of the cave. The Jungle Ponies motioning them to follow but Applejack wasn't having it.

"Now wait just an apple bucking moment here, friend." Applejack said aloud, refusing to budge.

Talon did not turn around, continuing to walk into the cave.

"This is not a discussion, you will leave freely, or you shall be forced to." Talon stated.

"I can get behind the idea of wanting to protect what's yours but we didn't come here just for research. A friend of ours is in trouble and these here Obelisks, somewhere in this jungle, is the only way we can have a hay straw of a chance of saving him!" Applejack shouted at him.

Talon stopped short. Applejack's words seemed to register with him. Seeing that Talon was clearly listening, Rainbow Dash decided to join in.

"It would take like two days to tell you what he's been through, but what you really need to know is that he's counting on us to help him. He needs us now more than ever and we're not leaving until we find these Obelisks, whether you like it or not!" Rainbow Dash stated firmly.

"Laying it on a bit thick there, Rainbow Dash." Daring Do whispered to her.

Talon glanced over his shoulder; his steely gaze seemed to be reading their faces, as if to see any lies within their eyes. Nodding his head towards the Jungle Ponies, they backed away from the three of them while Talon turned back.

"We know of the Obelisk's you seek, but to reach them you must first prove yourself worthy." Talon stated.

"How do we do that?" Daring Do asked.

"By standing before the Heart of the Jungle and being judged." Talon replied, motioning for them to follow.

Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and Applejack followed Talon into the entrance of the cave. The Jungle Ponies followed behind them, lighting torches to light the path, Talon leading the way, his staff lightly clicking against the stone floor. The cave stretched on, leading them deeper into the mountain.

"Are… are those _real_ pony skulls?" Daring Do asked after a while.

"These? They're just plaster, my niece made them for me." Talon replied, giving his staff a little shake to make the skulls smack together.

"They're… cute?" Daring Do offered, finding it mildly creepy.

Reaching a large rock face, an assured dead end, Talon knocked thrice against the rock wall, twice more, thrice again before knowing once. The sound of stone sliding against stone could be heard from the other side, the wall started to separate like two sliding doors, the cave shook from the sheer mass of the rocks. On the other side Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Do stared in amazement at what was hidden behind it. Any other word other than paradise would not do the landscape justice, there was an entire other jungle within the mountain itself, several holes and cracks from the miles high ceiling of the mountain shown moonlight through illuminating the inner landscape. There was an underground spring within the mountain, acting like a waterfall; large grassy fields that rolled into forests, several familiar stilted huts could be seen in the valley below where a large lake sat reflecting the moonlight.

"What is this place?" Daring Do asked in wonder.

"This is where the Heart of the Jungle is kept, a place where Jungle Ponies go when our jungle is threatened, and where the Heart protects us." Talon answered her.

The Jungle Ponies rushed passed them, their families waiting in the village below. Smaller, younger looking Jungle Ponies appeared from the stilted huts, running out to meet their family members. Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash followed Talon into the village, the commotion that was going on from reuniting with each other took president over their guests. Talon slammed his staff into the ground a few times to bring his ponies to attention.

"These three ponies were instrumental in keeping this sanctuary, our families, and the Heart of the Jungle safe from the blue creature that intended take it by force. Applejack, Daring Do, and Rainbow Dash have earned our trust, and the opportunity to stand before the Heart." Talon stated to every pony.

"Hey." Rainbow Dash said, waving hello.

"It's Daring Do!" A young Jungle Pony mare screamed in excitement.

There was a sudden group of fillies and foals that charged Daring Do, several of her books being raised to her, asking for autographs, dozens of questions being asked at once. Their excitement seemed overwhelming, but Daring Do smiled, speaking to them kindly and signing the books one by one.

"I should have brought my books." Rainbow Dash said almost pouting.

"So what is the Heart of the Jungle, Chieftain Talon?" Applejack asked curiously.

"What you are about see has been kept secret for nearly a millennia no pony, beyond our own, have seen it, I ask that you continue to keep this a secret to protect our Jungle and its ponies." Talon said to them.

"Of course, we're just here for the Obelisks. The sooner the Heart of the Jungle deems us worthy, the sooner we can forget about the Heart." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"No pony ever forgets seeing the Heart." Talon stated.

Talon approached the lake, Applejack, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash, and even the Jungle Ponies followed them. Stopping at the water's edge, Talon held his staff over the water, lightly touching the top of the lake, sending a small ripple outward. The ripple slowly disappeared across the top of the water, except that another ripple appeared from the center of the lake, then another, and another.

The water started to bubble, the center of the lake started to boil like crazy. Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stared in awe as a black orb started to rise out of the water. It was seamless, black like the night sky, no trace of light, or even a reflection from it. It floated towards Talon, who waited patiently at the edge of the lake, and it stopped before him. Giving it a few soft taps with his staff, he turned to the three ponies, pointing his staff at them.

"These ponies are looking for the Obelisks." Talon stated. "Are you not?"

Rainbow Dash didn't respond. Just staring wide-eyed at the orb. Applejack nudged her with her elbow before looking up to speak.

"That's right, we're here to find the Obelisks so we can save a friend of ours who's trapped in the Void." Applejack stated to it.

The black orb started to split; hints of purple light came shining through the cracks of the orb as the black orb faded away. There were no real words to describe what they saw; it was something they had never seen before. The creature before them looked to be twice as tall as Spike, its skin was an olive black, there were noticeable markings upon her arms like tattoos; it's hair like stardust floating in some unseen breeze. Its eyes were a bright yellow, her tattoos and hairs were a proud purple as she floated down towards them.

"My name is Tier, and I've come from that Void." The creature said to them. "I'm afraid your friend is already dead."


	23. Chapter 23: Jungle Fugue (Part 3)

There was a sort of skunky fragrance that wafted through Mira's cave. Mira hovered before a flat stone surface where she engrossed herself in some sort of concoction that involved all of her focus. I elected to separate myself from her work. Much of her attention was on the poisonous fangs she had pulled from the now dead Apep's jaws. I, myself, had gathered Apep's one remaining eye. No sooner had I dislodged it, with my magic of course, did I witness Mira reaching her arm inside its vacant eye socket to dig around. From it, Mira retrieved a very large venom sac from Apep's head; looking quite pleased with herself and her morbidly obtained body parts.

"Hey…" Mira mumbled after a while.

"Yeah?" I asked, sounding eager to converse and break the silence.

"Stand a little closer. I need the light." Mira instructed me, waving her hand for me to move in.

"Sure…" I replied slowly, moving closer to her.

The smell did not improve. It almost felt like it was seeping into my pores; which made me question if a Flame Pony even had any pores to begin with. This conundrum distracted me for a couple more minutes before becoming bored with my own thoughts and returned to observe what Mira was attempting to do.

"What are you doing?" I asked, finally breaking down to ask her the blunt question.

"Working." Mira replied flatly.

"Yeah, but on what?" I asked again, legitimately curious.

Mira seemed annoyed at my insistence, hissing under her breath.

"You can call it 'brewing' if you want." Mira replied, dropping Apep's eye upon the table; bouncing in a very queasy squelch. "I take parts out of somethings to make new things to help others things; think of it as making a remedy."

I watched as Mira whipped her finger in a downward motion, a thin line of her own magic slicing the Apep's eye in two. The two pieces fell over, balancing on their round edges, as Mira proceeded to scoop the eye jelly from them.

"Wh-What are you making?" I asked, trying not to gag at the sight.

"Dinner." Mira replied.

"What? I'm not eating that!" I shouted in horrified disbelief; shaking her frantically.

"Calm down! I was only kidding!" Mira hissed at me, slapping my face to make me back off.

I could feel my stomach almost jump for joy at her words. My relief was visible through my sudden smile at not having to eat the gross eye ball jelly. Mira ignored me, occupying herself with scooping jelly into a few of her own stone jars. After a couple of minutes watching her meticulously fill each jar to the brim, I found myself with more questions to ask.

"How did you learn to do all this… stuff?" I asked, unsure of what to call the scavenging of other creature's body parts.

"I had a friend that taught me…" Mira replied quietly.

I could tell that I was drudging up some painful memories for her. Although, it seemed like every memory she had was a bad one at this point.

"We're you a better student then me?" I asked, trying to put a light hearted spin on it.

"I'm better then you at everything." Mira snapped back, rolling her eyes at me.

"Did she give you a hard time like you give me?" I asked, strolling up alongside her once more.

"I give you a hard time because you're an idiot. _She_ was probably the most gentle of the Arcana. Always wanted to fix everything, help everyone, and it drove me insane." Mira replied, vicious mashing the eye jelly into the jar.

"She kind of sounds like Fluttershy." I mentioned.

"What's a Fluttershy?" Mira asked looking confused.

"A quiet and gentle pony I know." I replied.

"Yeah, well Tier was probably a bigger crybaby and wimp then your Fluttershy could ever hope to be." Mira stated, as if she was trying to win some argument.

"So her name was Tier?" I asked curiously.

I could see the sudden realization come across Mira's face that she had let slip her friend's name. Deciding to just ignore it completely, Mira continued on.

"She used to cry all the time, so she got the name Tier." Mira mentioned casually, floating back to the snake fangs. "Azimuth liked to make each of us unique, in some special way; she made Tier _very_ in touch with her emotions."

"What did she give you?" I asked curiously, wondering what was so special about her.

"None of your dumb stupid Flame Pony business!" Mira shouted at me; flushing a bit in the face.

* * *

Within the mountain, amongst the hidden the paradise that Jungle Ponies had taken refuge in, Tier spoke with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Do on where she had come from, what she was, and how she came to be here.

"I was known as Arcana. A magical creature that resided within the Kingdom of Naught created by our Eternal Master known as Azimuth. I was to live alongside the Void Walkers who were unable to use such magic, to help them achieve wonders while they protected us; just how the Eternal Master Zenith protected Azimuth." Tier began to explain.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Daring Do sat near the water's edge listening attentively to this creature named Tier. Many of the Jungle Ponies had sat down as well to listen to Tier speak; almost as if it was a story being told around the campfire. Chieftain Talon stood beside Tier, electing himself her bodyguard, and protector; taking his role in protecting the Heart of the Jungle very seriously.

"A lot of that didn't make sense to me." Applejack confessed, looking rather confused.

"Now, when you say created." Rainbow Dash began, scratching her head. "Do you mean like a Mommy and a Daddy pony becoming really good friends and-"

"Azimuth was no pony. Her kind was known to us as the Eternal Masters that had brought our world to life through sand and starlight. They were as tall as mountains, dwarfing entire cities, able to reach into the void of space to pluck stars from the cosmos. I was formed from the black sand from the Valley of Ouroboros, given my own star, and took my first breath from the whisper of Azimuth." Tier cut in.

Several Jungle Ponies clapped. Entertained by the imagery Tier had provided them.

"I'm right there with you Applejack." Daring Do said taking notes.

Daring Do had a journal out, a pencil in hoof, recording the finer points of what Tier had been saying. Taking some sketches of what she looked like, for posterity sake.

"It don't make much sense to me, but it's more than any pony could have hoped for. I'm sure Princess Sapphire will be surprised to hear that there is a creature from the Void right here in Equestria." Applejack mentioned.

"No pony can know about the Heart of the Jungle." Chieftain Talon stated, slamming his staff down threatening.

Every pony watched as Tier gently touched the Chieftain Talon's shoulder, a soft glow of purple seemed to pass through her and into him. Chieftain Talon seemed at ease, his hard features softened, almost breaking a smile.

"It is okay, Talon. I can tell these ponies don't have any cruel or evil intentions." Tier reassured him.

"Of course." Chieftain Talon replied calmly.

"What did you do to him?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"I can change emotions within creatures. To put them at ease, make them melancholy in their own natural way, while transferring their anger and anxiety into me and vice versa." Tier explained.

"Can you do it to me?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

"Sure." Tier replied, happily.

Tier placed her hand upon Rainbow Dash's head, a soft glow of purple emanated from Tier's palm into Rainbow Dash. A large smile crept across Rainbow Dash's face, looking very relaxed as her eyes started to droop.

"Whoa…" Rainbow Dash mumbled.

"Is she going to be okay?" Applejack asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"What she is feeling is her own euphoria, the best of memories that relax a pony to a point of near bliss." Tier reassured her.

"This technique is how our warring ancestors were able to put aside their differences and unite under one new tribe that swore to protect the Heart and the Jungle for harm." Chieftain Talon mentioned.

"We saw some ruins back at the temple that seemed to show some of your history, but a lot of it was destroyed." Daring Do pointed out.

"I'm surprised any of the murals lasted as long as they did." Tier mumbled, sounding embarrassed.

"The appearance of Tier was marked during the Battle of Midday, nearly a hundred years ago, where every Jungle Pony Tribe fought for control of the mountain and its riches. Jungle Ponies were divided by their sense of greed and bloodlines; seeing other Jungle Ponies as inferior and unworthy." Chieftain Talon elaborated.

"That never ends well." Applejack remarked.

"You're a hundred years old?" Rainbow Dash asked, in disbelief.

"We don't keep track of time in the Kingdom of Naught; all the Arcana are immortal; so I'm more like twelve hundred?" Tier mumbled, looking embarrassed.

"That's wild!" Rainbow Dash said in disbelief.

"Many battles had been fought for areas of the Jungle, but it was said that during the Battle of Midday, when the sun hung directly overhead, a loud thunderous crack shook the very mountain, sending a shockwave throughout the jungle, bringing the battle to an abrupt stop." Chieftain Talon continued.

Daring Do was taking notes as quickly as she could.

"A truce was quickly made between the five warring tribes to inspect the mountain to see what sort of phenomena had occurred. The five leaders of the tribes agreed to enter the mountain, escorted by their own tribe ponies, as not allow for any Chieftain to establish a presence within the mountain for themselves. What they ended up finding was Tier." Chieftain Talon explained.

"That thunderous crack sounds a lot like the portal that opened in the Ashen Fields." Applejack mentioned.

"I was very weak at the time, unable to move much less talk. The Chieftain of the Wakanda Tribe was first to come in contact with me, placing his hoof on me to see if I was still breathing, but unknowingly transferring all of my fears and pain into himself. The Chieftain believed it to be a sign, that it I was the manifestation of the Jungle's pain. That I was there to warn them of the misery that was to come if the war was able to continue, so he called for peace right then and there." Tier continued the story.

"Just like that?" Daring Do asked in surprise.

"They argued a lot." Tier said, thinking back on it. "The other ponies hadn't come in contact with me, they didn't feel the sadness and pain I was feeling like the Chieftain was." Tier mentioned.

"Eventually, the other Chieftains agreed upon a meeting to discuss the war during the next midday. Agreeing to cease the fighting until the meeting had concluded. Chieftain Wakanda elected himself the protector of Tier, believing she was a gift from the Jungle." Chieftain Talon added.

"I really wasn't…" Tier said sounding embarrassed once more.

"The meeting was held right here in this mountain, the neutral place where every Chieftain felt on even terms. That is where Tier united our ancestors and put an end to the war." Chieftain Talon stated.

"Being out in the sun restored a lot of my strength. I was able to connect with each Chieftain, sharing with them what the first Chieftain had felt, telling them how our world had been destroyed from all the hate that came from the few that were different." Tier explained sadly.

"What do you mean?" Applejack asked.

* * *

"What ever happened to Tier?" I asked curiously, watching Mira grind the snake fang into powder.

"I thought you were more sensitive than to ask things like that?" Mira asked, sounding annoyed.

"Well, most of the time you just refuse to talk to me about the friends you lost, but you don't seem so upset when you're talking about Tier." I mentioned to her.

"Are you complaining that I don't talk to you enough?" Mira asked, refusing to continue the conversation.

"I've been in this cave for I don't know how many weeks, eating Celestia knows what, and fighting a giant corpse, my-my-my-my own magic, and a really big snake with one eye!" I stated feeling frustrated.

"What's your point, stupid?" Mira asked casually.

"When are you going to start talking to me?" I asked expectantly.

I watched Mira's grin grow wider, she started to shake trying hold in her laughter but it all came rushing out in a loud mocking laugh. My mane flared in embarrassment, my attempt to be genuine with her was not going over very well.

"Sensitive isn't even the word to describe you anymore, more like dainty little princess, wanting to talk!" Mira mocked me.

"I just- I- I wanted- " I stammered, feeling my face flush even more. "Fine! Just forget it!"

"You can blame your Mom for that though; she was pretty sensitive about a lot of things too." Mira remarked, taking a few deep breaths from her winded laughter.

"My mom?" I asked in surprise, perking up once more.

"She begged me to help her find the monster you call a father, telling me all about how much she missed you and how hard it was to leave you." Mira added, sounding nostalgic about it.

"Mira-" I started to say, ready to try and pry out whatever I could about my mother.

"And then she died." Mira said quietly.

I could feel a sharp pain in my heart. Just from the sound of her voice, I could tell that my mother meant something to her, and having lost her must have been difficult. I wasn't sure if I could ask her anything more, it seemed like she was struggling to say that much already.

"What… What happened to her?" I asked slowly.

"She ended up saving my life; twice." Mira said, sounding rather hurt. "I didn't get a chance to thank her the second time."

"How?" I asked.

Mira didn't respond again. Busying herself with the grinding of the snake fangs, refusing to look my way.

* * *

"There were three Eternal Masters, Azimuth, Zenith, and Nadir. Nadir was not gifted to create life like Azimuth was, nor was he powerful to shape the fields of Ouroborus like Zenith did, but his magic gave him the ability to shape our reality." Tier explained to them.

"Can you phrase it into something we'll understand?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding very lost.

"Umm… " Tier hummed to herself thinking about it. "Nadir… created monsters… that used to be us… there was a war… and the Eternal Masters died."

"That I understood." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"But where did the storm come from?" Applejack asked curiously.

* * *

"Mira, please, I want to know." I pleaded with her.

Mira didn't respond. I walked around to the side of the stone table, not wanting to let this silence dictate her response. Mira's yellow eyes were glossy, obviously holding back tears, refusing to look at me as she turned away.

"What difference would it make, knowing how it happened or not?" Mira questioned me, sounding angry.

"Well… my father said… he did it. I don't want to believe it- I mean I can sort of see it but I… I don't think he could have… I mean…" I mumbled, feeling this uneasy feeling in my heart.

"… Null did it." Mira said quietly.

I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. I could see Mira's hands clenching tightly, her anger rising through the intense glow of her tattoos.

"She tried to stop him, all on her own, trying to beat the storm… but she just couldn't do it." Mira said, shaking with anger.

* * *

"One of Nadir's abominations, a creature named Null, returned from the Valley of Shadows, the place of banishment, bringing with him the storm. It was a force like nothing we had ever seen, it devoured the light from within us, absorbing our essence, returning us to dust." Tier told them.

"That's sounds horrifying." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"The Arcana tried to come up with a plan to defeat it, it involved using the Obelisks, but we could not convince any pony to try and help us. We were locked in, unable to summon enough power to open the portals ourselves, just food for the storm. So we hid, trying to find ways to survive, but in the end Null had won; claiming the Kingdom of Naught for himself." Tier said sadly.

"What did you do?" Applejack asked.

"One by one we were caught by Nadir's creatures that returned from the Valley of Shadows, some of us were brought before Null to appease him, while others met their fate with the abominations; in the end none survived." Tier mumbled, tears rolling off her cheeks.

"Then how did you… get away?" Daring Do asked curiously.

"Null kept some us prisoner, using us to force my friend to bring him light, or he would devour us instead. I watched as she brought starlight and wisps to him, sometimes it was enough, but sometimes he would… he would…" Tier trailed off covering her face; sobbing.

Chieftain Talon comforted her, placing his hoof upon her shoulder, the noticeable glow of purple emanated through his hoof; causing him to look just as sad.

"I'm sorry." Tier mumbled to him.

"I want to share your pain, if only to ease your sorrows." Chieftain Talon said, smiling at her.

"I can't imagine what that must have been like for you." Applejack said apologetically.

"How did you escape? Did you friend save you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"She tried. She attacked Null with everything she had and failed." Tier said, wiping her eyes. "But a pony made of fire came and saved us."

"A Flame Pony?" Applejack asked curiously.

"That pony brought a storm of fire, battling Null who seemed unable to fight back. That's when my friend carried me to safety, bringing me to the Obelisks and opening the portal for me. She threw me into the world, telling me to never come back, no matter what, and that was the last I ever saw of her." Tier said solemnly, pulling on her finger tips.

"Wasn't Matchstick's mom in the Void?" Rainbow Dash asked looking over at Applejack.

"Well it sure wasn't the Mad King; I'd say it's a safe bet that it was Ash's mom that stepped in." Applejack concurred.

"Well that's good, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, it's not." Tier said sadly.

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Think about it Rainbow, if Ash's mom had beaten the storm then there wouldn't have been a storm to pull the Great Dragon Char into the Void." Applejack stated, sounding rather sad herself.

"Oh… so she didn't make it." Rainbow Dash said slowly.

"Who was this friend of yours that tried to save you at the beginning, the one that was being forced to find sources of light for this Null creature?" Daring Do asked, looking over her notes.

"Her name was Mira, and she was the last of the Arcana to be made." Tier said, sounding a bit happier talking about her.

"The last?" Daring Do questioned.

"Azimuth created Mira for the sole purpose of fighting Nadir's abomination, making her one of the most powerful of the Arcana, capable of wielding immense power." Tier explained.

"So she was made to be a weapon?" Daring Do asked.

"No, Azimuth didn't intend for her to be a weapon, she did not pour her hatred or anger into Mira, she gave her the love she felt for every creature she had created. The want to defend and protect those she loved." Tier explained to them. "But when the storm came, and she was powerless to stop it, her heart shattered from all pain of loss we had to endure. She became bitter, angry, and aggressive. Refusing to show anyone how much she truly cared; all to hide the pain she carried."

"It sounds like she needs our help just as much as Ash does." Applejack concluded.

"Like I said before, your friend is already dead, just like Mira and the pony of fire." Tier said sadly.

"Well that's your opinion, partner, but I'm not ready to give up on Ash just yet." Applejack stated confidently.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash jumped in. "For all we know, this Mira friend of yours is the one that has been calling to Matchstick for help."

"What do you mean?" Tier asked sounding confused.

"Our friend had a magical Void Mirror that allowed ponies to walk into your world, but it got destroyed during a volcano eruption. Turns out Matchstick's been talking to some pony on the other side, so who knows? It might be your friend." Rainbow Dash explained.

Tier's eyes opened wide in fear, covering her mouth with her hands to try and hide her gasp. It didn't seem to work as Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at one another in worry.

"Is something wrong?" Applejack asked.

"Mira… what have you done?" Tier whispered to herself.

"What? What?" Rainbow Dash asked hastily.

"Mira must be desperate now, so consumed with revenge and hatred that she's willing to go to such extremes to win." Tier said her voice full of fright.

"No more talking gibberish, tell us what sort of trouble this Mira of yours has gotten our friend into." Applejack said promptly.

" _Mira's_ the one that's going to kill your friend." Tier told them; a look of fear washing over her.

* * *

"I... I know it must have been hard to say it." I began, fumbling with my hooves. "But I appreciate you telling me."

Mira glanced over at me, her face still screwed up in anger from her painful memories, but her face seemed to relax.

"Your mom was..." Mira started but stopped short, as if trying to comfort me with a few words. "She... she was... a lot like you."

I felt myself smile at this. It was a compliment I never thought I would hear or feel so much pride from; especially since it came from Mira.

"So try not to be a disappointment!" Mira snapped, killing the mood.

"Right." I said, nodding my head.

"You've still got a lot of work to do with your magic, so you might as well get started while I finish this up." Mira instructed, pointing me towards the other end of the cave.

"What should I be practicing now?" I asked curiously.

"That blazing phoenix thing you did against Apep, that's a form of fire manipulation. It uses your magic to shape your fire into a construct or animal, allowing you a form of protection and offense without needing trouble yourself with breathing fire or prepping a spell." Mira explained to me.

"Cool, cool." I replied.

"Your next lesson will be to extend your abilities in using both your magic and fire cohesively." Mira continued. "Many of your spells use the magical energy within your body to create barriers, and offensive magic. For this, you will need to draw on your body's fire to fuel your magic, allowing you the ability to store that energy for later and use your natural state to work for you."

"So?" I asked trying to think of what she wanted me to do.

"You know that shield you're so proud of?" Mira asked, sounding annoyed with me.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Make a shield of fire." Mira stated simply.

It seemed simple enough. I didn't feel the need to brag to her but my shield was the best spell I could cast. Making a phoenix wasn't too hard, it felt more natural to me when I was in the air, imagining it clearly with the beat of my wings. So a shield of fire wouldn't be too hard; it was just a sphere. A could feel my flames jump from my mane, my horn beginning to shine, a dome of fire surrounded me in an instant. I could feel myself smiling at my work.

"So what do you-" I was cut short by a rock hitting me upside the head.

I nearly toppled over, holding me head from the stinging pain, the dome of fire disappearing around me. I was hissing under my breath of how bad it hurt as I heard Mira click her tongue at me in disappointment.

"What do you do that for?" I asked sounding annoyed.

"Wasn't much of shield if a rock could get through." Mira stated.

"Well... yeah but-" I began.

"Making a wall of fire is fine to scare away idiots like you but what good is it if it can't stop something from getting through?" Mira asked me.

"How am I supposed to make a wall of fire thick enough to stop a rock? It's not a solid thing to begin with." I asked, still rubbing my head.

"That's what _you_ have to figure out, stupid. Let me know when you want to test it again, I'll throw another rock at you." Mira said to me, before returning to her stone jars.

I was still a little mad at the rock throwing, but like always it served a higher purpose for my training so I just let it go. Closing my eyes I started to focus on my magic, trying to think of some way to my fire more solid, which seemed impossible at the moment.

Mira looked back at her Flame Pony, focusing hard on controlling his magic. Watching the flourish of the flames leap from his body, the spiral of flames that circled him as it concealed him in a dome of fire. She knew that he was getting closer and closer to being at his peak, that her plan would finally come to fruition, where she would steal his fire, drain him of every last ounce of power, and face Null alone.


	24. Chapter 24: Rage, Rage

_**The Age of Light; Reign of King Scorch**_

 _ **Third Year - Black Winter**_

 _ **Fourth Year - Reformation**_

* * *

Within the walls of Castle Char there were a great many raised voices that overlapped one another. The Main Hall was crowded with Flame Ponies of all social standings, the commoner Flame Ponies, the Noble Flame Ponies, and even Senator Ponies voicing loudly their opinions on the matters concerning the aftermath of the Black Winter. Even the head family members of the houses of Hearth, Coal, Tinder, and Incandescence had turned up.

"You let spiders enter our Kingdom unchecked and unchallenged! Kidnapping our friends and family!" A Flame Pony shouted angrily.

"What sort of King kneels to our enemy?" Another Flame Pony shouted his question.

King Scorch stood at the top of the staircase. The steps were lined with Royal Guard Ponies to act as a barrier between him and his ponies. Insults and criticism were being shouted from all directions, the anger of the Flame Ponies were almost palatable. Scorch remained silent to their jeers and cries, knowing that his ponies were scared and needed to voice it in their own way. There was a lull in the shouting as the crowd started to part for several , noble looking, Flame Ponies to emerge. Scorch knew them well, for it was the head of each major Noble Family that had once welcomed him into their homes as a guest.

"Lord Scorch, the House of Incandescence, along with the Houses of Tinder, Coal, and Hearth, have moved to withdraw our support in this failing war with the Orc!" Lord Incandescence declared aloud for every pony to hear. "I encourage any Flame Pony that values their family's lives over a failing war to consider leaving these fields and find opportunities elsewhere."

The Main Hall exploded into talk, supporting this idea.

"What of the spiders? It is impossible to travel with them at our doorstep!" A Flame Pony shouted.

"I, as well as the other Noble Houses, are planning on creating a new commune further south of here. It will be far from the Orc's reach, where we will not be saddled with a false King to misguide us through these troubling times." Lord Incandescence explained, garnering the support of many common Flame Ponies around him.

Scorch remained silent at these words. With no objection to be had, Lord Incandescence and the other head of the Noble Houses retreated from the Main Hall bringing many Flame Ponies with them. With much of the mob of Flame Ponies dispersing, Scorch himself retreated back to his Throne Room where he could sort things out with his Council.

There were already voices in deep discussion coming from within the Throne Room as Scorch proceeded along. His Council already in closed session without his knowing, coming to a decision on their issue just as he entered the room.

"We will need to act fast if we are to regain the confidence and trust of our Flame Ponies. There is already talk of abandoning the Fields to find a place to live elsewhere with some of the Noble Houses." Scorch explained hurriedly, striding his way over to his throne.

Silence followed Scorch's words, no Flame Pony on the Council spoke, every pony looking uneasy.

"What? What is it?" Scorch asked looking around at them.

"The Council… has decided to disband, my Lord." Razgar said quietly.

"Disband?" Scorch asked in disbelief. "No… n-n-n-no you can't, there is still so much to do! The Orc will be back, and with greater numbers! This is the time to be coming together, not giving up!"

"Apologies, my Lord, but we have already agreed upon this notion, and will be taking our chances with this new commune that the Noble Houses are entertaining. Perhaps there we can start over." Rascal replied solemnly.

"You can't just give up!" Scorch shouted in protest.

"My Lord, you were the one that gave up, after bending the knee to the Orc." Elise explained.

Scorch watched as his three Council members excused themselves from the Throne Room, and headed for the door. General Molten, being among the Council, removed his helmet placing it upon the ground in front of Scorch's hooves. Shaking his head in disappointment, Molten followed the others to leave the Throne Room.

"Molten!" Scorch shouted, fearing the loss of his General.

The General did not turn around, nor did he give pause to his Lord's voice. The Council members left the Throne Room, leaving Scorch alone with not but his thoughts and the looming threat of his failing Kingdom. A rage began to swell within Scorch, shouting in his misery, cursing everything and every pony, he threw fire to every corner of the room. Releasing all his frustration out at once, smashing the General's helmet to scrap with his hooves, before striking the throne so hard with his wing that it broke the bone of his wing and smashed the stone that kept the seat together. With his throne lying in rubble, Scorch sat down within his empty Throne Room and thought to himself. Night had started to fall, nothing but the flames of Scorch's mane illuminated his dark world.

"I wish you were here, father." Scorch whispered to himself.

Several hours had passed. Scorch having spent each moment determining his place in Equestria, the choices he had made thus far and the choices he would have to make in the days to come. The confidence he once had in himself had been openly mocked by his own Flame Ponies, his efforts to find peace were met with hostility, and now he was endanger of losing his entire Kingdom to fear.

"What am I going to do?" Scorch asked quietly.

Hoof steps softly echoed off the corridor walls, as a Royal Guard Pony stepped into the Throne Room.

"My Lord, Captain Warrick Hearth reporting, sir." Captain Hearth said aloud, announcing his presence.

"What is it?" Scorch asked bitterly.

"You have a guest, my Lord." Captain Hearth stated.

"A guest?" Scorch asked, surprised by the notion turning his head to look.

There, standing beside Captain Hearth, was the mare from 'Hot and Smoldering Choices', Glow Sunbeam. Her hide was a greyish white, her flames so yellow that it resembled the sun, and her cutie mark was that of a beam of light breaking through clouds. She stood with a hat in her hoof, a nervous smile upon her face, trying her best not to notice the mess lying about.

"You never came to pick up your hat." Glow stated, holding up the hat. "I found it in the back, it had your name on it but you never came to pick it up. It's only a year or two late and we don't normally deliver, but I thought I'd make an exception; seeing as you're the King and all."

"Ahem." Captain Hearth cleared his throat as if to remind her of something.

"Oh, right! My Lord." Glow added, quickly bowing her head.

"Glow?" Scorch asked looking mystified.

Scorch got to his hooves, turning towards her, wide eyed at her presence. Not once had she ever agreed to come to the Castle, not for a tour, nor for dinner or parties, but there she stood with hat in hoof.

"What happened to your wing?" Glow asked sounding concerned, noticing its bent shape.

"My Lord, shall I get a doctor to come take a look at that for you?" Captain Hearth asked promptly.

"What?" Scorch asked, finally pulling his gaze from glow to look at Captain Hearth." No… no… I'll be fine. Thank you for showing Ms. Sunbeam to me, Captain."

"My Lord." Captain Hearth replied, turning on a hoof and excusing himself from the throne room.

Glow looked rather awkward, unsure of what to say or do, and merely holding the old but new hat Scorch had forgotten to pick up.

"I… I think you should get that wing checked out." Glow said slowly, trying to make small talk.

"Why have you come here?" Scorch asked looking rather confused by her being here.

"Me? I was just bringing your hat?" Glow asked, holding it up to him.

"Why are you not rallying against me like every other ponies?" Scorch asked, looking rather perplexed by this.

"Well… I…" Glow mumbled, fiddling with the hat. "I actually wanted to apologize."

Scorch simply gazed at her. Almost unable to believe the words he was hearing.

"Why?" Scorch asked.

"When the spiders came… they took my parents and brought them into the Dark Marsh; just like so many other ponies." Glow began, still fiddling with the hat. "I was very angry with you, wondering how you could have let this happen."

Scorch felt his stomach flop. His heart ached hearing these words.

"I-I-I-I-I-" Scorch began to stammer.

"I watched you plead to Grog for their safe return, for every pony's safe return. A King begging for the same return of his ponies, caring neither for pride or reputation, but just every pony's safety." Glow continued.

Scorch watched as Glow smiled at him.

"I always thought you were a spoiled pony that cared for only himself, but I was wrong. My parents are safe at home now because you put the safety of every pony first." Glow said looking relieved.

"It… it was Princess Celestia that saved-" Scorch began.

"You could have raised your army to march upon the Dark Marsh, you could have burned it to the ground, but it would have endangered every captured Flame Pony that Grog still had. So you chose to have Princess Celestia sneak in and rescue every pony, the best way to ensure the safe return of every pony." Glow continued, cutting him short.

"Glow… I… it…" Scorch mumbled, unable to form words to argue her point.

"So I wanted to say that I am sorry, Scorch, for misjudging you." Glow said, bowing her head to him.

Glow felt a hoof touch her cheek, glancing up she could see Scorch doing his best not to become emotional. She felt his arms come around her, hugging her tightly, his breathing short and raspy; as if trying hard not to cry. Glow found herself comforting him, only guessing at how difficult things have been since Black Winter, unable to fathom the toll it must have had on him.

"Thank you, Glow." Scorch whispered after a while.

Separating from her, Scorch took a step or two back to compose himself. He watched as Glow held out his hat to him, it was bowler hat, one that made him choke back a laugh; suddenly sounding distressed again.

"Is something wrong?" Glow asked, sounding worried once more.

"I… uh… I had this one… um… made for my… for my Dad. He said he wanted one, just to try out, because I had some many, he was curious to find out what was so special about it. I… never came to get it… because he… he died shortly after." Scorch explained, taking a few pauses for breaths.

"I'm so very sorry for your loss." Glow said sympathetically.

"You- You- You know," Scorch started up again, doing his best to smile. "I wished-I wished that my father had been here to help me earlier today, and I guess he sort of is."

Glow didn't know what to say. It was clear that Scorch was overwhelmed by everything that had happened, and he was finding some comfort in her being there; along with the memories of his father. It was surprising to see the King of the Ashen Fields so vulnerable, but it only solidified Glow's view of Scorch.

"What are you going to do now?" Glow asked, glancing over at his demolished throne.

"I suppose I should clean this up." Scorch remarked, glancing around at the room.

"Are you going to rebuild your chair?" Glow asked curiously, motioning behind him.

"I'll have to, but it wasn't all that comfortable to begin with." Scorch replied, shaking his head at the idea.

"Then this is the perfect time to make it how you want it to be." Glow suggested.

"Yeah, I could make it just how I… how I… want it… to be?" Scorch asked slowly, a light suddenly going off inside of his head.

"Yeah, you could have a nice cushion to sit on, or perhaps a throne that reclines when you get tired." Glow offered, thinking about it.

"Glow! You're brilliant!" Scorch exclaimed.

Glow felt Scorch kiss her on the cheek, his enthusiasm depicted with the huge smile he wore. She felt her mane flare at this, not believing the audacity Scorch had to do such a thing, but found herself unable to put any of these feelings to words as she stood frozen from embarrassment. Scorch was too excited to realize he had kissed his special some pony, already talking to himself of a new structure that was needed to rule the Ashen Fields.

"Every pony that has worked under me compared me to my father. What I need is ponies that are younger, more driven, and want to work with me then against me." Scorch explained to her. "I'll appoint a new General, one the soldiers can rally behind, and I'll disband the Council, so he will only have to speak with me for the defense of the Fields. Without the Nobles slowing us down, we can begin work as early as tomorrow morning."

"Cool, cool." Glow mumbled, face still rather flushed.

"Glow." Scorch said to her, approaching her once more.

Glow felt him take her hoof, holding it gently in his own as he looked right into her eyes; she could feel her heart doing summersaults.

"Y-Y-Yes?" Glow stammered, feeling her mane flare.

"Will you have dinner with me?" Scorch asked, his own face starting to flush.

"Th-Th-This again?" Glow asked, trying to feign annoyance as best she could.

"This is how I want it to be." Scorch said, face flushing even more. "With you by my side."

Glow was sure that her face was more red then white at this point, unable to look him in the eyes anymore she turned her head and pulled her hoof away from him in a huff.

"Don't get any funny ideas, it's just dinner." Glow replied, turning to leave; refusing to look back.

"I'm not hearing a 'no' this time." Scorch called out with a smile.

Glow simply nodded her head in response; refusing to speak to him further.

"This Saturday? Just after sunset?" Scorch called after her.

Scorch watched as Glow's flames disappeared through the doors at the end of the corridor. His smile never left his face; as if some cosmic force had seen his dismay and brought to him the very pony that was able to lift his spirit. The door at the end of the corridor opened once more, another flame appeared but this one belonged to Captain Hearth who was returning to the Throne Room.

"My Lord, I insist that we have the wing checked out before it starts to swell." Captain Hearth stated, insistently.

"General Molten has resigned his position as acting commander of our army." Scorch stated, once more stepping upon the crushed helmet his former General had left behind as he approached Hearth.

"I-I-I wasn't aware the General-" Captain Hearth began, shocked to hear the news.

"I've read the field reports of the battle of Black Winter. Your name was mentioned several times; praised as the hero." Scorch continued, standing before him.

"There were many other ponies that deserve more of the credit, my Lord." Captain Hearth replied, trying to remain humble.

"I also read the names of the ponies we lost that day, the ones that didn't return from the Dark Marsh." Scorch said solemnly. "I also saw the name Hearth, written there."

Captain Hearth did not respond this time, nor did he look up at his King; the silence spoke volumes of Hearth's sadness.

"The Ashen Fields is without a leader, one willing to defend it and all those who call it their home. The Orc will return and with it, a legion of spiders that will destroy our way of life." Scorch began, appealing to Hearth's quiet anger.

"I will burn every spider that would dare shows its face again in this Kingdom." Captain Hearth stated confidently, pushing down his silent rage. "This I promise you, my Lord."

"The Kingdom of Flame Ponies has little faith in their King right now, but with your help I believe we can still win this war with the Orc." Scorch stated.

"What would you have me do, my Lord?" Captain Hearth asked bravely.

"I would have you become my General, the Commander of my armies, the defender of this Kingdom, and the backbone of our pride." Scorch declared.

Captain Hearth looked surprised by this. The idea of rising from the rank of Captain to General was unheard of, let alone a place where the King himself could simply make this decision.

"The-The-The Council usually votes on-" Captain Hearth began to stammer.

"The Council has been dissolved, you will report to me directly from this moment forward. Your plans, your tactics, your orders will come directly to me for approval from now on. That is, if you accept this position." Scorch explained.

Hearth didn't know what to think, the idea, the task was daunting. The reformation of the entire Flame Pony army training, the Kingdom's defenses, and the battles that was to come seemed overwhelming if not impossible for him to fathom.

"I understand that you will need time to think this over, Captain Hearth. Please have an answer for me by tomorrow night." Scorch stated, stepping past him and heading down the corridor.

Hearth stared at the ground, thinking of back on the night of Black Winter, how easily the spiders had overtaken the Kingdom. How disorganized the soldier ponies were, how scared every pony was, and what was lost that night. Grinding his teeth in anger, thinking of his little filly at home that would grow up without a mother, Hearth turned around immediately towards his King.

"I'll do it!" Hearth shouted decisively.

Scorch stopped short at these words, turning back to look at Hearth who looked committed to what he had proclaimed. He nodded his head towards Hearth in his understanding.

"Shall we get started, General Hearth?" Scorch asked him.

* * *

Almost a week had passed with General Hearth now leading the Flame Pony army, having sought the King's consent several times over to make safe the Kingdom. Having already earned the trust of his fellow soldier ponies, General Hearth was starting to win the hearts of the Noble Houses as well. With the House of Hearth seated within such a position of power and respect, Hearth's father was able to convince the other houses of trusting in his son's abilities to lead. With the idea of a commune still fresh in the ideas of many Flame Ponies, General Hearth made personal visits to many shops and forges to personally request requisitions to aid in the defense of the Ashen Fields. General Hearth's personality had always been warm and inviting, nearly every pony knew of the tragedy that had befallen him with his late wife, and it inspired many to believe in him and his devotion to the Kingdom.

News of the Council's dissolve had worried many Flame Ponies at first, but the concerns voiced to General Hearth during his visits were brought directly to the King's attention. No more Council members deeming what was important, what was necessary, and what was worthy of the King's time. The Flame Ponies voices were finally being heard, and the King was listening. For some, they wanted more patrols, others wanted reinforced walls for their homes, and some requested compensation for what had been lost. The approvals of many of these things were met with haste, yet the need of a pony capable of handling the finances of the Kingdom and its fiscal future was needed to ensure stability. Upon the recommendation of General Hearth, of a childhood friend, Scorch met with a pony by the name of Argo Fleece.

"Don't be nervous when you meet him." General Hearth mentioned to Argo.

Escorting Argo to the Throne Room, General Hearth was nervous for his friend who looked even more so but refused to acknowledge it.

"I'm not nervous! In fact I feel that I am overqualified for the position." Argo stated quickly.

"King Scorch is looking for young, hard-working ponies to serve the Kingdom, Argo. I thought of no better pony to put forward, but you must convince him of this." General Hearth warned him.

"I've handled your father's finances since we were in grade school, Hearth. I believe my abilities will speak for themselves." Argo stated feeling belittled.

"Your abilities are not going to be what he is questioning, Argo. It is you character." General Hearth explained to him.

General Hearth brought Argo to the doors of the Throne Room, he gave him a minute to compose himself before opening the doors.

"Ready?" General Hearth asked.

"Ready." Argo replied confidently.

Pushing the doors open, General Hearth escorted Argo down the corridor into the Throne Room where King Scorch stood staring out through the windows at the Ashen Fields.

"My Lord, Argo Fleece is here to see you as per your request." General Hearth announced to him.

"Thank you, General. I appreciate you taking the time to set this up." Scorch replied.

"Of course, My Lord." General Hearth stated.

Bowing his head, General Hearth excused himself from the room leaving Argo alone with him. Argo stood silently, nervous to be standing before the most powerful Flame Pony in the Ashen Fields. Scorch turned from the window, approaching Argo, stepping around his newly remodeled throne.

"General Hearth recommended you over a very long list of Nobles, providing me with impeccable credentials of your work, and spoke very highly of your abilities to multitask." Scorch stated.

Argo didn't respond.

"I can see that you are familiar with mannerisms concerning nobility. Speaking only when posed a question or offered to speak your mind." Scorch mentioned, sounding slightly impressed.

"My Lord, may I be blunt with you?" Argo asked.

"By all means." Scorch replied.

"You'd be stupid not to make me your Treasurer." Argo replied.

Scorch's eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm not the bleeding heart that Hearth is, I care little for what you think of me personally, but I know that any pony besides me handling the finances of this Kingdom's future will be in jeopardy. Quite frankly your father was the pony that inspired me, his golden age for Flame Ponies was the greatest in Flame Pony history, and from what I've seen you've all but let his Kingdom flounder. General Hearth seems to believe in your reformation of the Ashe Fields, and if you are going to succeed with this you'll want me watching every last coin that passes through this castle." Argo explained to him.

Scorch simply stared at him, Argo could feel himself becoming anxious. He wasn't about to pretend to care, to be chummy and nice, he was being himself and wanted him to know what that would mean.

"Mr. Fleece, I would ask that you continue to be frank with me about any matters you deem important. Being the new Treasurer can be a bit overwhelming at first, but I feel that you can help me create a future even grander then the one my father left behind." Scorch stated.

A sudden wave of relief washed over Argo, his heart jumping for joy at the idea of working alongside his friend; helping in shaping the future.

"Thank you, my Lord." Argo replied humbly.

"Feel free to get started tomorrow, but your office is ready and available to you today if you wish." Scorch stated.

Argo bowed his head, turning to leave, wanting to see his new office and the work that awaited him.

General Hearth waited outside the Throne Room doors. Nervous for Argo, knowing that he was a tough pony to get along with. The doors opened and Argo stepped out to meet a worried looking Hearth.

"Can you show me where the Treasury is?" Argo asked flatly.

"You got the job?" General Hearth asked in surprise.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Argo asked, sounding rather pompous.

General Hearth hugged Argo suddenly, his happiness for his friend was too much not too share, but Argo found it hard to return the excitement. Stepping away from him, General Hearth motioned him to follow.

"So... you going to ask Helena out on a date yet?" General Hearth asked curiously.

"I'm much too busy to be trying to start a relationship with some pony." Argo stated coldly.

"Yeah, but she was the pony that swindled you out of three bits." General Hearth mentioned.

Argo's face flushed red.

Scorch could hear the faint echoes of their conversation resonating down the corridor of the Throne Room. He smiled to himself, thinking of how well these ponies were going to work together. Returning to the Throne Room window, Scorch watched the fortifications recommended by General Hearth being constructed along the edges of the fields. The wounds of Black Winter were still fresh for many Flame Ponies, their anger and bitterness towards him were justified in Scorch's mind, but he knew that this reformation would be vital in securing their future.

* * *

Several months had passed since Scorch had put his plan to reform the Kingdom into action. The lack of a Council proved to be very affective in turning a corner in terms of the needs of the Ashen Fields and its ponies. Scorch answered to no pony, his ears and eyes were that of Burning Sand, General Hearth, and Argo Fleece, who reported to him directly for the needs of his Flame Ponies. Within these last few months the Orc named Grog had refused to show itself, legions of its spiders attempted to breach the walls on several occasions, but could never breach. Laws had been placed upon every Flame Pony, roads were closed to them at night, every strong and able Flame Pony were required to become Solider Ponies, if only to protect themselves and family; those that wished to remain such soldiers would be taken without question.

This reformation had taken shape; the mindset of every pony had already begun to change. Scorch made no attempt to hide himself within the walls of Castle Char, publicly appearing for speeches, and inspections concerning the fortifications to the outer walls of the Ashen Fields. The Noble Families were first to speak of the good the King had done for the Kingdom, having denounced him publicly, they attempted to earn back favor with their King by any means necessary. With the thoughts of resettlement a laughable memory to many ponies now, the Noble Families were keen on pairing the King with one of their own. Without the Council pressuring the King into finding a special somepony, namely from one of the Noble Houses, Scorch was able to ignore all of the Noble Families requests for dinner, or his presence in general.

There were attempts to reform the Council, members met with Scorch several times, insisting their presence was needed to ensure the Flame Ponies had a voice in the Throne Room. Each time Scorch denied their return, the old senators could not gain support from the citizens for they had seen the merits of a Scorch's rule produce results without them. Flame Ponies were once more content with their safety, having deflected their blame to the aging regime that had relaxed within the Wise King Phoenix's rule, hampering King Scorch's ability to lead. Feeling that the young King was wrongfully blamed for lesser ponies mistakes, the Flame Ponies were once more siding with their King, and placing their trust with him again.

With the threat of spiders attacking down to merely a weekly nuisance, Flame Ponies were able to distract themselves once more to the day to day things that had once amused them before. Namely, the mare from 'Hot and Smoldering Things' that had been seen frequenting the castle during the months passed. At first the rumors were harmless, it was simply business that had brought her there, but with her visits becoming more frequent over time, the rumors began to spread like wildfire. There were some outlandish rumors to be had among certain ponies, the one every pony seemed to agree upon was that the King had found his future Queen.

"Bring back the Council." Glow stated, sounding rather firm with him.

Glow Sunbeam was following Scorch down the corridor of the East Wing, having just shared a late lunch with one another, but carrying their discussion along with them.

"I'm not having this discussion with you again, Glow." Scorch stated, flatly.

"You can't be the only pony who has a say on what goes on around here." Glow insisted.

"General Hearth and I have operated this way for nearly six months now, every decision has been for the benefit of the Kingdom and its ponies. I don't see why I need to have a meeting every time there is a problem or an issue." Scorch replied, sounding annoyed with the idea.

"Scorch," Glow said stepping in front of him; placing her hoof on his chest to have him come to a stop. "You and the others have done an unbelievable job with this reform, but there needs to be ponies that you can turn to. Some ponies that can put things in perspective for you. Ponies to bounce ideas off of, ponies that can challenge your ideas and perhaps offer you better ones."

"That is what I have General Hearth, Burning Sand, and Argo Fleece for. They tell me everything I need to know." Scorch replied.

"One manages the money, the other manages the politics, and the other manages our safety. No pony manages the citizens. The Council was their way of having their voices heard." Glow explained.

"The Council was filled with Nobles that sought to better themselves then their fellow ponies. I cannot trust any pony to speak on their behalf without wondering if they are really speaking for themselves." Scorch remarked, his mane flaring slightly at the thought.

Scorch stepped passed her. It was difficult for Glow to argue with him, in reality he was the King and she was just a citizen Flame Pony. The reason she could speak so frankly with him was because of their relationship, but she knew that the affairs of the Kingdom were not her concern. Even if she did feel the need to put her two bits into his business from time to time.

"What about an Advisor?" Glow asked aloud.

"An Advisor?" Scorch asked, almost scoffing at the idea; turning back to look at her.

"A pony that is simply here to give you advice." Glow offered to him.

Scorch opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly; the idea still bouncing around in his head. Glow could see that she had entertained him with the idea, having to deal with one pony over a Council seemed like less of a hassle.

"You would still make the decisions on everything, but you would at least have some pony beside you who could advise you and your choices." Glow stated hopefully.

Scorch seemed nod at this notion, unable to argue the point.

"I will consider it." Scorch agreed. "But I will only consider a pony of your choosing."

"My choosing?" Glow asked in surprise.

"If I'm going to have a pony telling me what to do, it should at least be a pony _you'll_ be willing to take advice from as well." Scorch replied.

"Why would I need to?" Glow asked curiously.

Scorch stepped closer to her. Nearly face to face. An all too familiar smile stretched across his face that Glow knew so well; her face flushing. Over the course of these months, Glow's feelings for him had grown, so much so that it was impossible for her to deny it, even to herself.

"Glow…" Scorch began to whisper to her quietly.

"Are you really going to ask me to marry you again?" Glow asked sounding annoyed.

Scorch seemed like he got the wind knocked out of him; his own face flushing from this. He quickly rebounded when she leaned over to kiss, a kiss so loving that it made him weak at the knees. As she parted from him, he could see her smiling warmly at him. Now walking past him, Glow headed down the corridor leaving Scorch rather flustered and at a loss for words.

"You never know, Scorch, I might say yes one of these days." Glow said aloud.

"Really?" Scorch asked in surprise, turning around quickly.

"I'm considering it." Glow stated teasingly; refusing to look back.

Scorch watched Glow descend the stair case at the end of the corridor; the light from her flames disappearing from sight. Still mystified by her words, Scorch started to punch the air excitedly, silently screaming to himself in unbridled joy at the idea of having Glow as his Queen. It wasn't a definite yes, but she hadn't said 'no' this time around; which was enough to have the King of the Flame Ponies dancing in the Eastern corridor over that small victory.


	25. Chapter 25: A Study in Pinkie Pie

Trottingham was very much a time capsule in terms of its architecture; its ponies kept a firm idea of preserving their culture, steering away from modern housing and keeping with the historic look of castles, cobblestone streets, stone work, and theatres. While mostly cloudy for many of its days, Trottingham did have some of the most breathtaking hillsides, and eye opening structures to be found anywhere in Equestria. Not mention some of the best tea and chips anywhere in Equestria.

The Royal Carriage from the Frozen North flew in over the city, Rarity and Pinkie Pie huddled close to the window to take in the sights. The River Reigns could be seen cutting through the southern part of Trottingham, the most noticeable sight being the Tower Bridge that had been two very old watchtowers from the old ages; repurposed centuries after. With the carriage dipping towards the ground, the Royal Pegasi Guards had been given orders to head to the Trottingham Council House where a representative of Buckingham Palace would be awaiting to welcome their guests.

"Can you believe it, Pinkie Pie? Trottingham! Oh, what an extraordinary chance to absorb the culture and take in such beautiful sights." Rarity remarked, sighing with wonder.

"I heard that the ponies here like to eat chips, and not the kind of chips we eat." Pinkie Pie replied happily.

"Well, I guess that is something to look forward to as well." Rarity replied, finding it somewhat lacking in wonder.

The Royal Carriage touched down on the cobblestone road, rolling up next to the Council House, made of stone and granite. It had large pillars and arches gracing the face of it, the building like very weathered but it stood unshaken by time. Dozens of ponies could be seen coming to and from the building; each dressed quite formally. It was safe to say that this was a political building, concerning anything and everything that had to do with Trottingham.

The door to the carriage was pulled open by one of the Royal Pegasi ponies, allowing Rarity and Pinkie Pie to de-board in a rather extravagant manner in front of all the on looking ponies. No pony of Trottingham could tell if Pinkie Pie and Rarity were of any political or royal significance, but whispers did follow them. From the entrance, Rarity and Pinkie Pie could see an old, long, sullen, but familiar face approaching them.

"It's the Duke!" Pinkie Pie cried, bouncing up and down.

"I had a feeling you'd be the pony they'd be sending here." Duke Wellington replied with a defeated sigh.

Duke Wellington was part of the Buckingham monarchy, several positions away from being next in line to rule, but never concerned himself with it. He was an elder looking donkey, known to throw his hat into the mix, get his hooves dirty when it came to political squabbles or issues, but was very reliable when it came getting things done.

"What a pleasure it is to see you again, Duke Wellington." Rarity greeted him.

"You're looking a lot less wrinkly then you did the last time we saw you." Pinkie Pie remarked.

"Yeah well, the Ashen Fields is about as cloudless as a desert. At least here I don't have to worry about liver spots." Duke Wellington remarked with a forced laugh.

"Has Princess Sapphire informed you of our reason for coming here?" Rarity asked curiously.

"I got a message just this morning informing us of your arrival. About time if you ask me." The Duke remarked.

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Ice Ponies like to take their sweet time when it comes to getting things done. They like to waste all of their time ice sculpting, meditating, and a whole bunch of other mystical jargon; bunch of nonsense if you ask me. I like taking a more proactive approach to things. So I've already put together a research team to find out whatever they can about the Void." The Duke replied.

"Have you really?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"The minute I got back from the aftermath of Castle Char, I informed our Parliament of the situation and the events that had taken place in the Ashen Fields. They weren't so quick to jump on board to help the Flame Ponies, seeing as they were across the pond, but I can be quite persuasive when I want to be." The Duke informed them.

"If Princess Sapphire had known that you had ponies already researching the Void here, I don't think our presence would have been necessary." Rarity stated solemnly, feeling that the trip was for naught.

"The research team has made some headway on some minor things, but we're always looking for ponies to lend a hoof wherever they can. I'm sure you two can be of some help, in fact, I could do for an update on their progress for today." The Duke commented, pointing down the street to show them where he would be escorting them.

"What sort of information has your research team discovered so far, your Dukeyness?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously, hopping alongside him.

"You can just call me Sir Duke, Pinkie Pie, and the research team hasn't found anything ground breaking but we've got some clues linking us to parts of our own past to the Void." The Duke replied.

"Do they have an idea of where the Obelisks are?" Rarity asked.

"They've been trying to narrow it down, the clues they've found have hinted two certain areas around Trottingham, and the circle gets smaller day by day to where we should 'start' looking. Until then, I have them set up in a part of the museum to examine old texts and artifacts that might give us the next clue." The Duke explained.

Trottingham was vastly larger then Ponyville, although not as spacious in its buildings as everything seemed to loom over them. The ponies of Trottingham were not all that different to the ones back home, an accent and some word play set them apart but every pony seemed relatively friendly. Street lamps, carriages, vendors, street performers, local pubs, and the occasional herd of tourist ponies lined the streets. What did seem rather unusual was the Duke walking amongst the common ponies without any sort of security.

"Shouldn't you be escorted by some royal guards or something, Duke? Seeing as you are, in fact, royalty?" Rarity asked curiously.

"I don't even break the top ten in line for the crown, giving no real pony a reason to start with me if they wanted to try some sort of hostile takeover. We've got local law enforcement dealing with the rift rafts and punks that seem to turn up every now and again, but we don't have any enemies to speak of." The Duke explained.

"I feel sorry for the pony that wants to pick a fight with the Duke." Pinkie Pie stated.

The Duke chuckled at that remark. The cobblestone road led them down towards the Royal National Theatre; a rather new building built over the old Trottingham Theatre several decades ago, built to blend in but was more contemporary on the inside. Several banners depicting several different plays that were to be performing over the next few months fluttered in the soft breeze.

"Perhaps we can catch a play or two during our stay here, Pinkie Pie?" Rarity asked hopefully.

"Bunch of overly dressed, long winded ponies strutting about playing make believe if you ask me." The Duke remarked; obviously not a fan of plays.

"Plays are more than just make believe, Duke, it tells a story or romance that needs to be portrayed, lived, to really understand the nature of it." Rarity contested.

"It's also a great place to eat popcorn." Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"Well count me out if you two end up going to that snooze fest." The Duke remarked, sticking out his tongue.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie could see a large; almost castle like, building come into view just over the rooftops of the houses that lined the streets. With similar large pillars, a grand size dome encompassing a majority of the building, several towers that spotted the walls, it was a massive and beautiful structure that had been repurposed from a stronghold to a museum many years ago. The stone steps themselves seemed just as weathered, beaten, but holding together to allow ponies a climb towards the main doors.

"This here is the Natural Equestria Museum, one of the most prestigious and eldest buildings to house countless untold and unseen relics from the world over. Studied by scholars, scientists, and put on display for any pony to see; to further their own interests and education." The Duke introduced them to the museum's history.

"Is that why it's locked?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously, pointing over his shoulder.

"Say what?" The Duke asked in surprise looking towards the doors.

The museum had two large blacken iron doors that would normally be open to the public were now shut bearing a small sign that said 'Closed Until Further Notice.' The Duke quickly approached the doors, trying his best to open the immensely heavy iron doors, but to no avail. Deciding to knock his hoof against the iron doors to get some pony's attention on inside the museum; the metal ringing with each hit.

"Hello? Can anypony hear me?" The Duke called aloud.

" **Hello**!" Pinkie Pie bellowed loudly, banging on the doors with her hooves in rapid succession.

Amazingly, there was a sudden click from the other side of the iron doors. A heavy latch could be heard scraping on the other side, the iron door groaning open before them. There appeared a pony with a rather large black hat with several white feathers protruding from it, wearing a rather official looking coat that bore the colors of black and red with gold ropes adorning his chest.

"Constable?" The Duke asked in surprise.

"Sir Duke, I was not expecting you to be here." The pony titled Constable said in surprise.

"I am leading a research team here at the museum; Sir Lancaster is the head of this team. Why has the museum been closed?" The Duke asked authoritatively.

"A thousand pardons, Sir, but Sir Lancaster has been reporting missing as of this morning." The Constable informed him.

"What?" The Duke asked in surprise.

"Missing?" Rarity asked in shock.

"We've detained the rest of your research team to gather their statements, and already have one suspect pony in custody." The Constable informed him.

"I want to speak to the research team. I want to know what's going on." The Duke demanded.

"Of course, Sir, and your… guests?" The Constable asked looking at Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

"No need to worry these ponies are with-" The Duke stopped short, turning to look at them.

Rarity was also at a loss for words as Pinkie Pie stood before them wearing an inverse cape, a deerstalker hat, a bubble blowing pipe, and holding a magnifying glass in her hoof.

"Take me to the scene of the crime, Constable, the game if a hoof!" Pinkie Pie declared.

"Oh my dear Celestia…" Rarity mumbled in shock.

"This cannot end well." The Duke mumbled, rubbing his temples.

The museum was massive, having a complete fossilized dragon on display right at the entrance. There were several banners the fluttered overhead, directing visiting ponies to different places in the museum. Roped off exhibits depicting the early days of pony kind, several glass cases containing old pony pottery and tools, and murals of old pony cave paintings. It would take days if not weeks to view everything the museum had to offer but their first priority was this missing pony case.

"Can you fill me in on the details so far, Constable?" The Duke asked, following him through the museum.

"Sir, Misses Minerva claimed to have seen Sir Lancaster unwell last night within research room; feverish and paranoid, having the mannerisms of a pony being chased. During this time, Misses Minerva was in the Storage Room observing Sir Lancaster from the doorway; just on her way out for the night." The Constable began.

"Take note of that, Watson." Pinkie Pie stated, passing Rarity a notepad and pencil.

"Watson?" Rarity asked in confusion.

"Mr. Montague was on his way to the local pub called 'Silly Whispers' to meet up with some friends when he said he saw Sir Lancaster ranting and raving like a lunatic; running down the streets as a pony possessed." The Constable continued.

"M-O-N-T-A-G-U-E, is how you spell Montague, Watson." Pinkie Pie informed her.

"Thank you, Pinkie Pie, I wasn't sure- how did you know I needed help spelling his name?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"Elementary my dear, Rarity." Pinkie Pie said conclusively. "Here."

Rarity felt Pinkie Pie's hoof bop her on the nose, a rather bushy mustache was left hanging from her upper lip.

"Is this really necessary?" Rarity asked, finding it rather itchy.

"What of the other, James Bartlesby?" The Duke asked.

"I have some of my officers getting a statement from him as we speak, Sir. Just this way." The Constable stated, escorting them into the Research Room.

Entering the room, Rarity and Pinkie Pie could see two ponies sitting at a table with four officer ponies standing nearby watching over them. Mr. Montague was a middle aged pony, dressed in finer clothes; a pair of half circle glasses sat upon his face, his hide was a light brown, his mane a dark brown, and his cutie mark depicting a knight's armor. Beside him sat Misses Minerva, much younger by comparison to Mr. Montague, dressed casual, her hide was a soft yellow, her mane a dandelion yellow, and her cutie mark bore an olive branch.

"Sir Duke!" Misses Minerva shouted loudly; obviously relieved to see him.

"Calm down, Minerva, we'll get to the bottom of this." The Duke instructed, waving his hoof to have her remain seated.

"James Bartlesby is just in the next room, giving his statement as we speak. Standard protocol, no pony is being charged with anything at this time." The Constable stated.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Montague, I am Detective Pinkamena Pie, and this my good friend Rarity." Pinkie Pie provided introduction.

"G-Good afternoon. Are you really a detective?" Mr. Montague asked, sounding impressed.

"She's not really a detective." The Duke replied.

"Then how is that I know Mr. Montague is a family colt, left handed, married nearly twenty years, no children to speak of, and prefers peaches to apples, but apple tarts over peach ones." Pinkie Pie stated quickly.

"H-H-How could you have possibly known that?" Mr. Montague asked sounding flabbergasted.

"How _did_ you know that, Pinkie Pie?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"Mr. Montague's necktie has been tied by a right hoofed pony; obviously someone helps him dress in the morning, which alludes to the doting wife who has no other distractions, namely children, to occupy her time. The slight aroma of peaches still lingers upon his breath, but the crumbs in his mustache show clear signs of apple tart crumbs; a noticeably redder color then the peaches." Pinkie Pie deduced.

"That's amazing." Rarity said sounding very impressed while Mr. Montague quickly brushed his mustache with his hoof to clear the crumbs.

The officers in the room seemed rather impressed with Pinkie Pie; even the Constable was even looking astounded by it. The Duke rolled his eyes, knowing better then to argue it further.

"Misses Minerva, the Constable has told me that you were first to see the Sir Lancaster in a paranoid state last night." Pinkie Pie stated, blowing on her bubble pipe.

"That is correct Ms. Pie, I saw Sir Lancaster ranting and raving in this very room. I could see him from the Storage Room just across the way, to the east, but I could not hear any of what he was saying. Moments later he bolted from the research room, stumbling under his own hooves before leaving the museum all together." Misses Minerva replied.

"I'm guessing the Research Room was tidied up this morning?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously, looking around at the neatness.

"Normally the Research Room is rather cluttered; we do our best to keep it tidy. Sir Lancaster wasn't reported missing until a few hours ago by his wife when he did not return home last night." Mr. Montague explained.

"Not knowing that this was a potential crime scene." Rarity concluded.

The door to the neighboring room opened up revealing James Bartlesby being accompanied by the officer that had taken his statement. James Bartlesby was a young colt, his hide a silver grey, his mane a platinum, dressed in a suit; his cutie mark bore the top hat and a monocle. It was clear that he hailed from a Noble Family, most likely one that donates generous amounts of coin to the museum every year.

"Constable, Sir, James Bartlesby has given his statement." The officer escorting him stated, passing over the paper.

"What did you see, James?" The Duke asked James Bartlesby.

"It wasn't so much what I saw; it's what I heard Sir Lancaster said." Mr. Bon Bartlesby corrected.

"You spoke with him?" The Duke asked in surprise.

"Not so much spoke but listened to his paranoid delusions. I swear he's gone mad from all this research." James stated.

"Elaborate." Pinkie Pie said, stepping in.

Looking at her attire, James found her rather curious, but her intense stare was enough to have him feel confident that she was confident in her abilities.

"Sir Lancaster was in charge of the location of the Obelisks, following any and every lead we could find. He studied old texts of the first Empire of Trottingham Ponies that mentioned 'shadow creatures', and deciphered their meanings to hypothesize a location in which the texts had spoken of." James explained.

"A case of work fatigue?" The Constable asked curiously.

"Unlikely." Pinkie Pie commented.

"Highly unlikely. I approached Sir Lancaster late last night, after hearing the commotion he was making here in the Research Room. I could barely understand him; he was panicked, out of breath, and was hurrying to gather his things. He claimed some pony was chasing him, that it had already taken another. Claiming to have seen a monster that crawled out from the moor he had visited earlier in the day." James told them.

"A potential site to where the Obelisks might be located no doubt." Pinkie Pie replied.

"Quite possibly, the moor is a rather large area; it was just one of the most promising leads we had found." James informed her.

"Just take a seat with your team, Mr. Bartlesby." The Constable instructed pointing to the empty chair.

"What of the pony you have in custody?" The Duke asked curiously.

"She is currently waiting in the Police Cart out front, Sir, we made our stop here to collect the rest of our suspects" The Constable reported.

"We had nothing to do with Sir Lancaster's disappearance!" Misses Minerva stated quickly.

"It's simply standard procedure, Miss, we will take you down to the Yard for questioning and if there is no reason to detain you, you will be free to go." The Constable reassured her.

Mr. Montague seemed content with this, while Misses Minerva and James Bartlesby looked rather nervous.

"If you three would follow Officer Cash outside we'll get this over before you know it." The Constable stated.

"I would like to speak with the pony in custody." Pinkie Pie said approaching the Constable.

"I'm sorry; Ms. Pie, but you are not part of this case. I cannot allow you to interfere with our work." The Constable replied.

"I know it isn't standard procedure, Constable, but the information regarding the Void is quite critical to the Royal Family in the Frozen North as well as the Ashen Fields. It would imperative that you allow us to be a part of this investigation to ensure that the information does not fall into the wrong hooves; if it hasn't already." Pinkie Pie stated.

"Well-I-uh-I don't know if- uh…" The Constable mumbled, feeling the pressure of foreign affairs butting in.

"It will be fine, Constable, I vouch for these two ponies. They will aid you in your investigation." The Duke reassured him.

"V-V-Very well then." The Constable agreed.

The group of ponies was escorted outside to where a black cart with a rather aged white shield painted upon the side sat waiting to take the Research Team to the Yard. There wasn't much of a crowd to speak of, although there were some ponies standing around wondering what was going on. The latch from the back of the Police Cart was being unlocked while every pony waited on the sidewalk.

"I have another cart coming to escort you to the Yard, Sir, it should be here momentarily." The Constable stated.

The latch of the Police Cart opened as the doors suddenly swung out with a bang.

"You cannot do this to me! I haven't done anything! This is clearly profiling and I will not stand for it!" The pony from within the cart screamed.

Attempting to get away, two Police Ponies took a firm hold of her, as a sky blue unicorn pony with silver hair struggled to get free.

"Is that…" Rarity began.

"Trixie?" Pinkie Pie asked in equal surprise.

Trixie stopped struggling almost immediately, having heard her name from a familiar voice. Taking notice of Pinkie Pie and Rarity, she once more struggled to move towards them against the two Police Colts.

"Please! You two have to help me! I'm innocent!" Trixie whined.

"Constable, why has Ms. Trixie Lulamoon been placed in custody?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously, blowing on her bubble pipe.

"She was found with Sir Lancaster's book bag, containing all of his notes out on the moor. Naturally we assumed she was the culprit and placed her in custody." The Constable reported.

"Sir Lancaster gave me his book bag! For safe keeping! I swear!" Trixie pleaded.

"Ms. Lulamoon is part of one of the plays taking place at the Royal National Theatre, in charge of all the special effects and illusionary work. Needless to say that she scared Sir Lancaster with some sort of illusion like monster before doing away with him." The Constable reported.

"Subjective to what evidence we have so far, Constable." Pinkie Pie remarked. "Ms. Lulamoon is most likely a pony of happenstance; I believe whatever was chasing Sir Lancaster is still out there."

"Yes! Thank you Pink-uh- Pink-uh-" Trixie struggled to remember her name.

"Pinkie Pie." Rarity stated.

"Pinkie! Yes! Please! I swear, Sir Lancaster came to me last night asking me to take care of his research. He made me promise to meet him out on the moor this morning." Trixie explained.

"All this can be explained at the Yard. Let us not attract anymore ponies then we have already." The Duke insisted, noticing the number of on looking ponies starting to grow.

"Do not worry, dear, Pinkie Pie and I will make sure you aren't blamed for something you didn't do." Rarity said reassuringly to Trixie.

No longer struggling against the Police Ponies, Trixie reluctantly boarded the Police Cart along with Mr. Montague, Misses Minerva, James Bartlesby, and two Police Colts. The other Police Colts hitched themselves to the front of the cart, after locking it, and galloped off to the Yard. A second Police Cart came around the corner, the second ride the Constable had promised.

"We should get going." The Duke stated, approaching the cart.

"You go on ahead; Duke, Rarity and I have some clues that need finding in the museum." Pinkie Pie stated.

" _You're_ going to be looking for clues?" The Duke asked in surprise.

"Have the cart come to pick us up in two hours." Pinkie Pie replied, heading back up the steps to the museum.

"Wait for me, Pinkie Pie." Rarity said quickly, chasing after her.

"I will have Police Ponies appointed outside the doors, Sir, while Ms. Pie does her clue finding." The Constable reassured him.

"I'll be at the Yard, trying to hammer out the details on what they were doing before this whole mess happened." The Duke replied, climbing into the cart with the Constable.

The Police Cart rolled away with Pinkie Pie and Rarity climbing the steps. Pinkie Pie looked very stern, focused on her thoughts, a very unnatural look to see her with.

"Pinkie, sweetie, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Rarity asked softly.

"I'm just absorbing the culture like you said, Rarity, besides there's a pony out there that needs our help. In fact, Sir Lancaster, Trixie, Mr. Montague, James Bartlesby, Misses Minerva and Smolder need our help; and I'm going to need your help if I'm going to solve this mystery." Pinkie Pie said to her.

"You're absolutely right, Pinkie Pie. You can count on me." Rarity said feeling confidence in herself.


	26. Chapter 26: A Fright at the Museum

Trixie Lulamoon crossed the busy stage, supervising the installation of trick mirrors and trap doors that were going to be used during the play 'The Call of the Pony.' Practical effects were required for this production; the use of magic was very limited if not completely off the table when it came to theatre plays. It required a greater amount of artistic skill and talent to perform a magical feat without using any _real_ magic; that is what got ponies in the doors and into the seats. During the initial production call of the play, Trixie had proven to be extremely gifted in the use of illusions, having been leaps and bounds beyond any other candidate, thus landing her the position of lead special effects supervisor.

"Be sure to test the trap doors with sandbags twice the pony's weight; we don't want it opening prematurely." Trixie instructed the stagehoof ponies.

With a quick wave from one of the stagehoof ponies to acknowledge they heard her, Trixie felt that things were proceeding on schedule and if they continued they would be finished ahead of schedule. Trixie turned to check on the ropes they would be using to levitate some of the scene changes when a Security Pony approached her.

"Ms. Lulamoon, there is a pony by the name of Sir Lancaster here to see you." A Security Pony informed her.

"Really, Sir Lancaster?" Trixie asked looking rather surprised.

"Shall I turn him away?" The Security Pony asked.

"No, it's alright. Sir Lancaster is a lover of theatre, but more so magic. At the very least, illusionary magic; I met him earlier this week. "Trixie explained to him.

"I have him waiting just outside the auditorium, Miss." The Security Pony informed her.

"Yes, thank you, George." Trixie replied; following the Security Pony named George off the stage.

Sir Lancaster had approached Trixie earlier in the week through a mutual acquaintance, who just so happened to be the producer of this play, to express his admiration for having seen one of Trixie's earlier performances during her tour through Trottingham last year. It was all very flattering to her. Sir Lancaster had left with an autograph and the knowledge that she would be overseeing the special effects for this particular play; having sworn to come see it. This had Trixie thinking that Sir Lancaster was unable to get tickets and was hoping to pull some strings through her.

Reaching the lobby, Trixie could see Sir Lancaster standing at its center clutching a saddle bag in his arms; shaking something awful.

"Sir Lancaster?" Trixie asked aloud, sounding concerned.

"Trixie! Sweet Celestia, Trixie, you must help me!" Sir Lancaster said in such fright; quickly rushing to her.

"Careful, bub." George the Security Pony said sternly; placing one hoof upon Sir Lancaster's chest to hold him back from Trixie.

"Please, Trixie, you must help me! I have no one else I can trust!" Sir Lancaster pleaded; sounding distraught.

"Why? What's the matter?" Trixie asked in worry.

Trixie pressed her hoof against George's arm, to allow Sir Lancaster to approach her. Sir Lancaster immediately shoved the saddle bag her was carrying into her arms, before backing up quickly.

"I'm being hunted! I cannot stay here! Please! You must keep my research safe!" Sir Lancaster begged of her.

"Hunted?" George and Trixie asked together.

From the skylights high above, the moonlight that shown through was quickly obscured by fast moving shadows that zipped across the lobby floor; drawing both Trixie and George's eyes upwards in surprise.

"What in the hay was that?" George asked sounding baffled.

"They've found me! I cannot stay here!" Sir Lancaster shouted in horror.

Sir Lancaster raced towards the entrance of theatre. Trixie attempting to run after him, at a loss to what was going on.

"Sir Lancaster, where are you going?" Trixie called out to him.

"The moor! I will be safe there! Meet me there at morning!" Sir Lancaster shouted back, throwing himself against the doors and fled out into the night.

Trixie slowed her pace. Having little idea of how to navigate Trottingham during the day, let alone trying to find her way around at night was out of the question. Still clinging to Sir Lancaster's saddle bag, Trixie felt she had little choice but to do as he asked and meet him at the moor in the morning.

"I wonder what sort of trouble the colt's got himself into?" George asked looking rather perplexed.

"George, would you happen to know how to reach the moor?" Trixie asked, curiously; heading back towards him.

"Sure. Let just grab some paper and a pencil to write it down for you." George stated walking away to go fetch it.

"That's quite a story, Ms. Lulamoon." The Constable remarked.

"It's the truth!" Trixie insisted, tapping her hoof repeatedly on the table.

Trixie sat within the Interrogation Room down at the Yard with the Constable taking point on questioning the witness. Having told the Constable of the events that had transpired the night before Sir Lancaster's disappearance.

"You must understand the seriousness of this matter, Ms. Lulamoon." The Constable stated.

"You can even ask George, he'll vouch for me." Trixie insisted.

"We would." The Constable began. "But he is missing as well."

The Constable noticed the stunned silence and the surprised, if not, worried look upon Trixie's face. The Constable was not a rookie, far from it. He could tell the subtle differences in a pony's expression to know if they were lying or telling the truth. The direction in which a pony would look when remembering a memory or making up a story, how a pony's body language would give away their innocence or guilt, but most importantly the tone of voice when they spoke; the Constable could see it all.

A sudden rap upon the Interrogation Room door filled the silence. It opened slowly, revealing a Police Pony in the door way holding a folder under his arm.

"Sorry for the interruption, Constable, but you need to have a look at this." The Police Pony stated.

"Sit tight, Ms. Lulamoon." The Constable said rising from his chair.

Trixie sighed in frustration; resting her head upon the table. The Constable closed the door to the Interrogation Room behind him, taking the folder from the Police Pony to have a look at it.

"The colts back in the evidence lock up found this among Sir Lancaster's saddle bag." The Police Pony reported.

Within the folder lay a single sheet of parchment that had several pony names listed upon it. Several lines crossed off, ones that were circled and some yet to be marked.

"A list." The Constable took a stab at the meaning of it.

"It has Mr. Bartlesby, Misses Minerva, Mr. Montague, the Duke, Ms. Lulamoon, and even his own family members listed upon it, Sir." The Police Pony noted.

The Constable could see that Sir Lancaster's wife, as well as Trixie's names had been circled, while the others had been crossed off. It wasn't clear what it represented but it was clear that Sir Lancaster had written it for one reason or another.

"Have Ms. Lulamoon moved to the holding cell until Detective Pinkamena returns." The Constable instructed.

"Do you think she's responsible for these disappearances, Sir?" The Police Pony asked.

"I've interrogated countless ponies over my career, but I can tell you she isn't the pony we're looking for. My gut is telling me something much more foul is at play here." The Constable replied.

* * *

Pinkie Pie and Rarity returned to the Research Room to begin their investigation. Rarity was unclear of what would be considered a clue, evidence, or what just dismissible junk was. The Research Room had been tidied early in the day by the rest of the research team, not having known the critical clues that might have told a pony why Sir Lancaster had been acting so strange.

"Pinkie, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?" Rarity asked curiously, moving so loose parchment around.

"Something that should be here and isn't." Pinkie Pie replied, staring intensely through her magnifying glass.

"But… how would we know if something is missing?" Rarity asked curiously.

"A fine question indeed, Rarity, allow me to enlighten you." Pinkie Pie stated in a formal tone of voice.

Pinkie Pie spun in a circle very quickly, her inverse cape whipping around, revealing Pinkie Pie to be now dressed in a white lab coat, with half-moon spectacles, her mane in a neat bun with a pencil speared through to hold it together.

"Pinkie… how did you…" Rarity began, amazed by her constant wardrobe changes.

"What a mess, Sir Lancaster really did a number on this place. I hope he's alright, he looked quite stressed last night." Pinkie Pie said as if rehearsing the line.

Rarity watched Pinkie Pie pretend to straighten up the room. Pretending to return books to their shelves, papers to stacks, equipment to their intended places, and straightening chairs. It was obvious that Pinkie Pie was reimagining what that morning must have been like anyone of the research members to have done when finding the room in such a state.

"Now, Rarity, what is missing from this room?" Pinkie Pie questioned, dropping the persona for a moment.

Tapping her hoof to her chin, thinking rather hard about it, Rarity looked around the room trying to imagine herself cleaning up a mess. Everything in the room had a place, but there was still something missing.

"No pony on the research team had reported anything missing." Rarity remarked thinking about it.

"Good, good." Pinkie Pie replied, encouraging her train of thought.

"So whatever is missing is something that no pony really pays attention to." Rarity concluded.

"Great deduction, Rarity." Pinkie Pie stated.

With a whip of her lab coat, Pinkie Pie was once more dressed in her inverse cap and deerskin cap; the bubble pipe bubbling away. Crossing the room, Pinkie Pie pulled a single sheet of blank parchment from the stack and crumpled it into a ball; tossing it to Rarity who caught it.

"Throw this away from me, Rarity." Pinkie Pie asked.

"Sure…" Rarity said slowly.

Turning around, Rarity scanned the room for a trashcan. Her head looked back and forth, noticing that there was not a single can in the room. It suddenly dawned on Rarity that the thing that was missing was the trashcans in the room, they had been removed.

"The trashcans are missing." Rarity remarked in surprise.

"Precisely, after any cleaning of any room there is bound to be trash. The janitor pony must have collected the cans to dispose of the trash, planning on bringing the cans back later, but was thwarted by the investigation." Pinkie Pie explained.

"So our clues are in the garbage?" Rarity asked, cringing at the idea of dumpster diving.

"If a pony is trying to cover their hoofprints, disposing of the evidence is the first step. On the other hoof, Sir Lancaster could have left a clue for us to follow and been thrown away believing it to be nothing but scrap paper." Pinkie Pie continued.

Pinkie Pie exited the Research Room with Rarity close behind. Using the directory, Pinkie Pie found the location of the janitor's storeroom, where it would most likely hold the first clue in finding the missing trashcans. Their hoofsteps echoed off the walls of the museum. The Janitor's Storeroom's door was slightly ajar, the light inside was lightly flickering; the candle light dying.

"Be ready, Rarity." Pinkie Pie warned placing her hoof upon the door.

"Be ready for what? You don't really believe that the culprit is hiding in there, do you?" Rarity asked, sounding rather nervous all of a sudden.

Pinkie Pie threw the door open. A series of mops, brooms, rags, and a couple of buckets tumbled from the room; burying Pinkie. Thrashing about, Pinkie Pie gave the cleaning implements what for, tossing them about and stomping them hard into the ground.

"Obviously a trap left by the culprit." Pinkie Pie deducted, breathing rather hard.

"I don't really think the culprit had anything to with poorly put away equipment, Pinkie." Rarity mentioned, helping her to clean up the mess.

The Janitor's Storeroom was rather small, it could be consider a closet, but was large enough to hold a desk and filing cabinet. There was a corkboard hanging above the desk that was littered with several different memos and timesheets the Janitor pony had put up. The flickering flame was an oil lamp that hung from the low ceiling, desperately trying to burn what little fuel it had left, keeping much of the small room rather dark. With a glow of her horn, Rarity magically unhooked the lantern from the ceiling, lowering down to the desk where she began looking for some extra oil. A small jar with a hoofwritten label marked 'OIL' sat on the top of the first drawer Rarity opened. With a quick refuel of the lantern, the flame burnt brighter, bringing the small room into the light.

"Bingo." Pinkie Pie said smoothly.

Several trashcans had been stacked in the corner of the room; each one had been emptied. A single large brown sack was leaning against the wall, quite possibly filled with the refuse from the cans.

"It looks like we've found our missing trashcans." Rarity remarked.

"It's time to find ourselves a clue." Pinkie Pie said taking hold of the brown sack.

The brown sack suddenly lurched; squirming away from Pinkie Pie.

"Aaaiiee!" Rarity and Pinkie Pie shrieked together; taking hold of one another in fright.

The brown sack wiggled about before slumping against the floor, revealing a pony's head.

"It's a head!" Rarity screamed in horror.

"Who the hay are you two?" The pony in the brown sack asked.

"And it's talking!" Pinkie Pie screamed.

The pony within the sack struggled to free himself from his confides, kicking the now empty brown sack over by the empty trashcans. It was clear that the pony was more than just a head. It was a much older colt, an earth pony, some signs of stress lines forming around the eyes, silver streaks forming in his mane. His cutie mark depicted a broom and dustpan, giving a very important clue to who he was.

"You're not the cops." The pony stated looking at them strangely.

"No… but I feel that you are indeed the Janitor pony." Rarity stated, starting to calm down.

"The names Julian, Julian Duster, I am the Janitor Pony." The pony introduced himself.

"Why were you hiding in that sack, Julian?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"I ain't saying nothing until I know who the hay you two are." Julian stated, sounding very suspicious.

"I'm Detective Pinkamena Pie, working for Trottingham Yard, and this is my good friend, Rarity." Pinkie Pie handled the introductions; blowing on her bubble pipe.

Julian looked between them, not looking too sure that their story added up, but he did seem rather relieved to have been found by them.

"So, what _were_ you doing in that sack, Julian?" Rarity asked.

"Hiding." Julian replied flatly.

"From what?" Rarity asked.

"The culprit, of course." Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"Look, I don't know what that… thing was but it was trying something awful to get in through that door. Luckily for me, it took off when the Police showed up." Julian stated, heading over to his desk.

"You hid from the Police?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"No. I was hiding from… I don't know what the hay it was but I was hiding from that. Not the Police." Julian emphasized.

"You got stuck in the sack, didn't you?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"I did not-I wasn't- it-" Julian stumbled over her words; his face flushing.

"Can you describe exactly what you were doing leading up to this 'thing' that attempted to get into your storeroom?" Pinkie Pie questioned him.

"There isn't much to say about that. I was just doing my rounds, gathering up all the trash from all the rooms like I always do in the morning. Mr. Montague was cleaning the Research Room with Misses Minerva and Mr. Bon Bartlesby; quite nice of them not leaving it to me to clean up." Julian thought back on it.

"What did you do with the trash, Julian?" Pinkie Pie questioned.

"We've got a bin for recycling near the back of the museum. I normally gather all the trashcans; bring it back here to the ol' storeroom to dump them all into my cart. Then I take it in one go to make the dump." Julian explained.

"And that's when you were attacked." Rarity spoke up.

"I tell you nothing has scared me more than having something jump out at you from a big old bin of scrap paper." Julian said rubbing his temples. "I was just starting to dump the cart when something just leaped out from the bin, hissing and shrieking wildly at me."

"What exactly?" Pinkie Pie asked sounding fascinated.

"Celestia knows what the hay is was, it was massive, snarling, it sounded like a Bugbear with terrible indigestion; I didn't bother to stick around to examine it closer." Julian explained.

"It must have been terrifying." Rarity said sympathetically.

"My hooves were already moving by the time I figured out I was running. I had left the cart behind and made my way back to this storeroom. I tried to lock the door but I heard whatever that thing was getting closer and closer, so I just dumped my tools against the door and went to hide." Julian explained.

"That's when you got yourself stuck in the bag?" Pinkie Pie asked again.

Julian grumbled. He looked rather embarrassed, if not disappointed in himself.

"Were you scared, Julian?" Rarity asked kindly.

"I'm not a coward, if that's what you're asking." Julian retorted, sounding very defensive.

"You're not a coward, Julian, you were just afraid, and being afraid is alright. What you are is our best chance of finding out what happened to Sir Lancaster." Pinkie Pie informed him.

"Sir Lancaster has gone missing?" Julian asked sounding shocked.

"Whatever you encountered might very well be what is responsible for Sir Lancaster's disappearance, we're looking for clues that Sir Lancaster might have left to help better understand what he was running from." Pinkie Pie elaborated.

"That thing might still be out there and you want to go back to where it was hiding?" Julian asked in shock.

Pinkie Pie approached the door of the storeroom. Moving the door back and forth, a small noticeable squeak from the hinge of the door, but it didn't seem so worse for wear. Examining the floor just outside the door, looking for any distinguishable signs that may have marked the floor, Pinkie Pie smiled cleverly.

"Whatever chased you, Julian, it wasn't anything close to a Bugbear. The door would have easily have been torn down by its strength alone, but the doorknob has only been loosened from the excess of pulling. The ground has no scuff or claw marks, which just furthers this idea that it might have been a pony using a sort of illusion to make you see something that wasn't really there." Pinkie Pie explained to him.

Her words seemed to put Julian at ease; having realized that a flimsy wood door would have done next to nothing against a Bugbear.

"Well… I guess I can show you ponies where it's at." Julian said, finding some courage.

"We'd very much appreciate it, Julian." Rarity said appreciatively.

Julian left the storeroom with Pinkie Pie and Rarity following close behind. Rarity was very impressed with Pinkie Pie's deduction skills, having been on point all day, feeling that this wasn't a game to her but a true mystery that needed to be solved.

"Pinkie, if you are correct and what Julian saw wasn't really there, wouldn't that make Trixie a prime suspect?" Rarity asked curiously.

"On the contrary, my dear Rarity, it provides us with a timeline. For Trixie was found out on the moor this morning, at the same time Julian had encountered this supposed creature. Quite a feat for a pony to be in two places at once, but without some hard evidence to prove that Trixie had no part to play in it, we mustn't rule out any possibility." Pinkie Pie said studiously, blowing bubbles through her pipe.

"I must say, Pinkie Pie, you are doing a marvelous job as a detective." Rarity complimented her.

"Thank you, Rarity! That is so super nice of you to say!" Pinkie Pie replied happily.

Julian had taken them through several corridors, through different parts of the museum; perhaps the long way around by the looks of it. It was obvious to Rarity and Pinkie Pie that Julian was just being cautious, which was alright by them; seeing as the culprit was still at large.

"Would the culprit still be lurking around the museum, Pinkie?" Rarity asked curiously; beginning to feel as if they were being watched.

"Not likely, upon the arrival of the cops I'm sure any pony would have fled the scene." Pinkie Pie stated confidently.

"Shush!" Julian hissed at the two of them.

Carefully peeking around the corner of the corridor, Julian, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity could see the sea of scrap paper littering the floor; there was no sign of the culprit. Slowly stepping around the corner, the ponies approached the toppled recycling bin to get a closer look. It was nearly impossible to not step on the paper; there was just so much of it that it seemed like weeks' worth of recycling had gone uncollected. Julian had gone from nervous to annoyed by the mess that the culprit had left behind, tipping his trusty cart right side up before heaving a sigh.

"Guess I better get started then." Julian mumbled sounding depressed.

"Let me give you a hoof with that, dear." Rarity remarked, her horn flashing a brilliant purple.

Her magic swept across the ground like purple water, stirring the paper from the resting place, and having them dance into the air. Fluttering about, encircling them before magically stacking themselves into neat piles; the more torn and crumbled pieces were separated into the cart. Julian had watched in amazement and relief at the simplicity of it all.

"That was amazing. You want a job here?" Julian asked looking impressed.

"Thank you, no." Rarity replied apologetically.

Pinkie Pie was examining the piles of papers, looking for the clues that had eluded them in the Research Room. She seemed rather focused, tossing stacks of papers back into the bin by the hoof full, as if knowing exactly what she was looking for. Julian hovered around Pinkie Pie, waiting for her to leave of stack of paper, signaling his ability to toss that stack away because it had proved fruitless. At times, Pinkie Pie would pass Rarity sheets of parchment that she had pulled from the stacks to hold. After nearly an hour of searching, Pinkie Pie seemed content; nearly three hundred pieces of parchment was stacked near Rarity.

"All this is what we were looking for?" Rarity asked in honest surprise.

"Not quite." Pinkie Pie stated, blowing on her bubble pipe.

"Why did you choose just the parchment paper?" Julian asked curiously, tossing the last of the paper into the bin.

"Upon first glance of the Research Room, it was clear to me that the ponies only wrote with parchment paper, using ink rather than pencils to catalog their findings; which made it much simpler to figure out what came from the Research Room." Pinkie Pie explained.

"Well, not _all_ the parchment paper comes from the Research Room." Julian pointed out.

"Precisely; this is why our next step is even more simplistic." Pinkie Pie retorted.

"What do you mean, Pinkie?" Rarity asked curiously.

"If Sir Lancaster had left a note of any kind, a clue to who or what was chasing him, the culprit would have disposed of it within the Research Room or when Julian had happened upon it searching for it in the bin." Pinkie Pie stated.

"So there wasn't any clue to begin with?" Julian asked feeling puzzled.

"What you seek is the answer to the mystery, Julian. Clues are like puzzle pieces that lead us to answer." Pinkie Pie told him.

Without another word, Pinkie Pie started to shift the parchment papers around. There were diagrams, off hoof notes, simple ink splotches, numbers, arithmetic, and some funny little drawings from time to time. It wasn't long before Pinkie Pie whipped a piece of parchment high up over her head in victory; having found her first clue.

"Rarity, Julian, I give you our first clue into solving this case." Pinkie Pie announced, holding it out to them.

Upon this particular piece of parchment was several names written upon it, each name having been rewritten several times in other places. There were mentions of the time of day, much of which had been scratched off as well. It seemed like a right mess, something that would scream throw it in the bin it's useless.

"What are we looking at, Pinkie?" Rarity asked curiously.

"What we have here is a list of names, those who work for the museum, and that of the Research Team. One name is absent upon this list; Sir Lancaster's. If my theory is correct, Sir Lancaster was the pony who was wrote this, cataloging the time in which every pony listed here did something." Pinkie Pie explained.

"Something?" Julian asked sounding confused.

Turning to Julian, the parchment in hoof, Pinkie Pie quickly look it over.

"Julian, what do you normally do at around… oh say eleven o'clock?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Eleven? Well that's around the time that I make my rounds, sweeping the floors of the museum." Julian recollected.

"Would you say that you are normally sweeping around the Research Room at this time?" Pinkie Pie posed another question.

"I would have to agree with that. Noon is about our busiest, I tend to clean near the front of the museum and make my way backwards." Julian explained.

"Sir Lancaster has kept tabs on you. By the look of it, perhaps almost a week and the times are nearly identical across the pace." Pinkie Pie explained.

"Why would he do that?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Perhaps a pony or ponies were beginning to act strangely to Sir Lancaster. From his account, it would appear that Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva are the most inconsistent in their times. Mr. Montague seems to be rather dodgy about his time as well." Pinkie Pie deduced from the page.

"What does it mean?" Julian asked curiously.

"It means that Sir Lancaster was getting too close to the truth and needed to be dealt with." Pinkie Pie stated, rolling up the parchment and sticking it inside her reverse coat.

"What are we going to do now?" Rarity asked.

"To Trottingham Yard! There isn't a moment to lose!" Pinkie Pie declared.


	27. Chapter 27: Stumping the Yard

The police carriage rumbled down the cobblestone streets of Trottingham, its destination was the Yard, where every pony that may have been responsible for Sir Lancaster's disappearance was being held. Within the carriage sat Pinkie Pie and Rarity, glancing over the parchment they had found in the recycling bin. Rarity had borrowed Pinkie Pie's magnifying glass, having her own look over the parchment; Pinkie Pie blew bubbles from her pipe while watching from the corner of her eye.

"See anything peculiar, Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked, posing the question to her.

"Am I supposed to be seeing something?" Rarity asked curiously, glancing over at Pinkie Pie.

"I'd like your opinion; an extra set of eyes can be very helpful to put things in perspective." Pinkie Pie stated, tapping her hoof against the parchment in encouragement.

Rarity repositioned the magnifying glass, taking another look at the parchment. She felt that Pinkie Pie would have already made a hundred predictions about what the parchment meant, or even what the purpose of it was, but Rarity felt that Pinkie was being sincere; doing her best to find something out of place.

"Well, it appears to me that Sir Lancaster has been crossing off ponies names; perhaps to narrow down a singular pony." Rarity began.

"For what purpose?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

Rarity took another look at the parchment.

"If Sir Lancaster was feeling threatened, and crossing off names on a list is a means to eliminate them. He was either narrowing down his would be attacker?" Rarity asked trying to flush out her idea.

"Or?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Or… some pony he could trust?" Rarity offered, trying to think of the reverse.

"Marvelous, Rarity, you've solved the mystery of the note." Pinkie Pie congratulated her.

"That's it?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"I was able to deduce that this list served two purposes and you were able to guess both." Pinkie Pie stated.

"So, I didn't discover anything you didn't already know?" Rarity asked curiously.

"On the contrary, you stated that Sir Lancaster 'felt' threatened. Which would have any pony going to the authorities, but Sir Lancaster did not. Now why would a pony not go to police for help?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"Because… he knew they couldn't?" Rarity happen a guess.

"Or wouldn't." Pinkie Pie added.

"The police not willing to help a pony? Why wouldn't they?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"That, my dear Rarity, is the answer we are looking for, and the only pony that knew that answer is now missing. From this list, we have only now one thing, would you like to take a guess at what that might be?" Pinkie Pie offered her the question.

"Well, let me see." Rarity mumbled looking over the parchment.

There were all the names of ponies that worked at the museum, as well as the research team; Sir Lancaster's name being missing. There were times of each pony's routine, lots of scratched of names and times that had been rewritten over and over again, but she couldn't really find anything that would answer Pinkie's question.

"We can infer that Sir Lancaster could not trust the police with what he knew, so what did he do?" Pinkie Pie asked another question, hoping to lead her towards the answer.

"He kept track of the ponies he found to be… suspicious." Rarity replied, still mulling over the parchment. "Which meant that he would not have told them anything, which has been rather obvious up to this point?"

"Go on." Pinkie Pie urged her.

A light went off inside of Rarity's head.

"So he went to the one pony he knew he could trust." Rarity said confidently, surprised by her own deduction.

"The one pony he could trust, who is currently being held at Trottingham Yard." Pinkie Pie stated, patting Rarity on the shoulder for a job well done.

* * *

Trixie sat within her holding cell, head hanging low, looking awfully depressed. After the whole fiasco in Ponyville, Trixie was hoping to make a fresh start someplace far enough away where ponies wouldn't know of her in such detail, but the inquiries being made by Trottingham's finest would uncover her rather colored past. Feeling that she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, she was hoping against for a miracle to save her from being accused of something she didn't do.

A Police Pony strolled up to her cell. Trixie glanced up to see him looking for the right key, before unlocking her cell. Pulling the metal bar door open, the Police Pony stepped to the side.

"You're free to go, Ms. Lulamoon." The Police Pony stated.

"What?" Trixie squeaked in disbelief.

"New evidence has come to light, you're being released." The Police Pony stated.

Her heart went from swimming around in the pit of her stomach to floating on a cloud near her throat. Feeling mystified by the whole ordeal, Trixie was slow to get to her hooves, stepping cautiously out of the cell before the Police Pony closed it behind her.

"I'll take you to the front, just follow me." The Police Pony stated, walking towards the end of the corridor.

Trixie followed the Police Pony into the lobby where there were dozens of Trottingham's finest hustling about, writing up reports, and dealing with other misfortunate ponies. Being brought to the lobby, Trixie could see the Constable reading over some parchment while Pinkie Pie and Rarity stood before him. With a clear of his throat, the Police Pony got the attention of the Constable who turned to see Trixie standing beside him.

"Ms. Lulamoon, Detective Pinkamena Pie has secured your release. We hope you understand the necessary steps to ensure that justice was sought for Sir Lancaster and that you were not singled out from any other pony." The Constable told her.

It was his own way of saying 'sorry for accusing you', but being off the hook meant more to Trixie then an apology at the moment.

"You did this, Pinkie Pie?" Trixie asked in disbelief.

"Rarity helped, of course." Pinkie Pie replied to her.

Trixie suddenly embraced the two of them, hugging them rather tightly; unable to express the relief and thanks she had for the two of them. Her hug was graciously accepted by the two of them.

"This parchment may prove that Sir Lancaster did not suspect Trixie as a threat, but it does put the others here in a rather awkward situation." The Constable stated still looking it over.

"I'd like to speak to the Research Team, one at a time, and see what they've been hiding." Pinkie Pie stated, pulling away from Trixie.

"Well, that's sort of my job; I get to ask the questions." The Constable said, sounding rather insecure about another pony doing his job.

"Pretty please?" Pinkie Pie asked very sweetly, batting her eyes at him.

The Constable's face turned rather sour, not liking the idea, but gave in to the sad puppy dog eyes Pinkie had given him.

"Very well then, but we'll be monitoring you from the two way mirror." The Constable stated. "Right this way."

Rarity and Pinkie Pie proceeded to follow the Constable, leaving Trixie in the lobby. She looked towards the double doors that would lead her back to the theatre, but looked back towards Pinkie and the others feeling a sense of gratitude swelling in her heart.

"Pinkie!" Trixie called out to her.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity stopped to look back at Trixie; the Constable turning to look as well.

"Can… can… can I be of some help?" Trixie asked, feeling rather awkward.

"You want to help us find whoever made Sir Lancaster disappear?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"Well… I don't know what I can do… but if you'll allow me…" Trixie said slowly. "I'd like to help you… like you helped me."

Rarity and Pinkie Pie could hear the sincerity in her voice.

"Welcome to the team, Trixie." Pinkie Pie stated, motioning for her to follow.

Trixie's face lit up; there was a sudden elation of being accepted that made her smile wide. She hurried after them, while the Constable seemed to be at odds with himself. It was unorthodox to have civilian ponies working a case, but on the other hoof, Pinkie Pie had already proven herself a true detective. In the end, the Constable wanted this case to be solved as soon as possible, with the safe return of Sir Lancaster, and if that meant having Pinkie Pie and her team help out then it was alright by him.

Pinkie Pie separated from the group, heading into the Interrogation Room with the Constable, while every pony else entered the observation room to watch what was going on. Pinkie Pie sat herself down in the chair; her back facing the mirror, the table was bare of anything other then what the Constable set down before her.

"These are all the files we have on each pony, pictures, and some evidence in these plastic bags we had collected from the research room before your arrival. Take some time to review it, when you're ready we'll bring in the suspects." The Constable said to her.

"Thank you, Constable." Pinkie Pie said picking up the first file.

The Constable left the room, leaving Pinkie to her deductions. Retiring to the observation room to join the other ponies, feeling that they might just uncover something yet, the Constable was interested to see how Pinkie ran her own interrogation. The observation room had a few chairs for ponies to sit on, a small table of refreshments, and of course a recorder to keep a detailed account of everything said in the Interrogation Room.

Every pony helped themselves to some water, a donut, waiting patiently for Pinkie Pie to familiarize herself with the case in its greatest detail. Trixie felt a bit out of place, having been allowed to join them, she felt she needed to get things off on the right hoof.

"Thank you again for clearing my name, Rarity." Trixie mentioned to her.

"Think nothing of it, dear, we're glad to have set things straight." Rarity said comfortingly.

"I was worried that you ponies weren't going to believe me, seeing as… well…" Trixie trailed off sounding rather embarrassed.

"We've all made mistakes, dear, what's important is that you're trying to do better. That's really all a pony can ask of you." Rarity said encouragingly.

Before Trixie was able to reply, a sudden rapt against the mirror drew every ponies attention. Pinkie Pie had knocked upon the glass, mouthing words they could not hear. The Constable shot a look at the switch on the wall, with a flick, the vents near the ceiling turned up to allow sound through.

"I know you have donuts in there! Send in the first pony and have him or her bring a donut!" Pinkie Pie hollered, still knocking against the mirror.

A police pony had escorted Mr. Bartlesby into the Interrogation Room once more, but to his surprise it was the rather observant detective waiting for him instead of the Constable; he was rather surprised to see a donut waiting for him. Pinkie Pie had just finished the last bite of her donut, before motioning Mr. Bartlesby to come over. Seating himself across from Pinkie Pie, he watched her motion towards the donut, encouraging him to eat it. Mr. Bartlesby did feel rather hungry, so he indulged himself.

"So, Mr. Bartlesby…" Pinkie Pie began, flipping open the first folder.

"Yef?" Mr. Bartlesby said through a mouthful of donut.

"Can you describe to me your relationship with Sir Lancaster?" Pinkie Pie asked; her eyes trained on the report in front of her.

Swallowing his bite, Mr. Bartlesby cleared his throat.

"Sir Lancaster and I had a mutual friendship, our interest in the Void stemmed from the sheer lack of evidence of it. The opportunity to be part of a Research Team that was well funded to find anything and everything about the Void had us working together for the first time. I would transcribe old pony texts before passing them off to Sir Lancaster who was in charge of cross referencing the information to particular dates and places in modern day Trottingham. Our only interaction was when I handed him all of the work I had finished." Mr. Bartlesby answered.

"Do you normally show up late for work?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"Late?" Mr. Bartlesby asked sounding confused.

"Sir Lancaster had been keeping a rather detailed timetable of each of his fellow researchers, and it appears that he had clocked you in nearly an hour late over the last week." Pinkie Pie explained, showing Mr. Bartlesby the parchment she spoke of.

Mr. Bartlesby became suddenly unnerved.

"I-I-It is a personal issue that I don't care to discuss." Mr. Bartlesby stated, face flushing slightly.

"Sir Lancaster also has you taking much longer lunch breaks. You must be a very hungry pony." Pinkie Pie stated in a rather calm and normal tone.

"Why would Sir Lancaster care about my-my-my eating habits? It's no business of his." Mr. Bartlesby questioned it.

"What I find interesting was that you usually clock out at around five o'clock every evening, Mr. Bartlesby." Pinkie Pie continued.

"What of it?" Mr. Bartlesby asked sounding defensive.

"You claim to have heard Sir Lancaster ranting and raving in the Research Room, which places you at the museum near midnight." Pinkie Pie informed him; watching the color drain from his face. "What were you doing there so late?"

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I… want my lawyer!" Mr. Bartlesby stammered, turning rather red in the face.

"I want the truth! Spill it, Mr. Bartlesby! You're hiding something and I'll find out what it is sooner or later!" Pinkie Pie cried pointing her hoof at him accusingly.

"Talk to my lawyer, detective! I'm not saying another word!" Mr. Bartlesby said defiantly, folding his arms.

"Take him back to his cell, but don't let him finish his donut." Pinkie Pie said to the Police Pony standing off to the side.

"No! I'm famished! Let me have the rest of it!" Mr. Bartlesby cried, the Police Pony pulling him away from the table.

Pinkie Pie slid the half eaten donut into the trash can beside the table; much to the horror of Mr. Bartlesby who demanded his lawyer once more. The door closed on the Interrogation Room, the Constable approaching a vent near the side of the mirror to speak with her.

"Mr. Bartlesby is the son of Sir Reggie Bartlesby, a big benefactor to the museum, third wealthiest family in Trottingham. He'll have the best lawyer money can buy." The Constable stated.

"Mr. Bartlesby didn't do it, but he is hiding something." Pinkie Pie replied.

Rarity was now on her hooves after hearing this, craning over to the vent to speak to her.

"How do you that, Pinkie?" Rarity asked.

"There's no motive. Mr. Bartlesby stands to gain nothing from Sir Lancaster's disappearance, in fact, without Sir Lancaster, the research cannot continue. Which means that some other pony may have wanted that very thing to happen." Pinkie Pie said thinking deeply on it.

"Who shall I send in next?" The Constable asked.

"Have Mr. Montague come in, please." Pinkie Pie replied.

Mr. Montague strode into the Interrogation Room, his head held high, with all his dignity and pride laid out upon his face. He sat across from Pinkie Pie without question, looking ready to answer anything she would ask; Pinkie could feel that Mr. Montague wasn't here to chat.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Montague." Pinkie Pie began.

"As well you, detective. Tell me, have you found Sir Lancaster yet?" Mr. Montague asked hurriedly.

"Unfortunately, we have not." Pinkie Pie replied.

"Terrible, just terrible." Mr. Montague stated, shaking his head.

"Mr. Montague, for over the last week, you have clocked out an hour early, while skipping over your lunch break entirely. Care to explain?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Very well, I've been putting on a few extra pounds since last year. My wife has urged me to watch my eating before it becomes a real problem and I choose to skip lunch to help with this." Mr. Montague said sounding rather honest, and not the least bit embarrassed.

"Yet, the apple and peach tarts from this morning tell a rather different story, doesn't it?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I… I have been cheating, I'll admit to that. I pass by four bakeries before turning up at the museum and it is rather hard not to indulge." Mr. Montague stated.

"So what do you do when you leave the museum an hour early?" Pinkie Pie continued to grill him.

"Well, I'm not getting any younger, and the hours every pony else puts in is not something I can do so easily anymore. Working through lunch, I feel that I make up the difference in some small way." Mr. Montague explained.

"It really is rather tough for a pony your age to keep up with a younger crowd." Pinkie Pie said slowly.

Pinkie Pie slid a piece of paper towards Mr. Montague, a familiar one to him, as it was his own statement taken by the Police Pony earlier today.

"So why would a pony of your age be going to the 'Silly Whispers' to meet up with some friends on a school night?" Pinkie Pie questioned him.

Mr. Montague withdrew a handkerchief , dabbing it upon his forehead, looking rather squeamish.

"Were you meeting another mare that night?" Pinkie Pie asked in an accusing manner.

"Sweet Celestia, no!" Mr. Montague remarked in surprise.

"Were you meeting with cohorts to get rid of Sir Lancaster?" Pinkie Pie asked again.

"Absolutely not!" Mr. Montague stated firmly.

"Perhaps you were trying to drink the guilt away from the hoof you played in Sir Lancaster's disappearance!" Pinkie Pie drilled him.

"I... I…" Mr. Montague mumbled.

Pinkie Pie watched as Mr. Montague raised his handkerchief to his eyes rather than his head this time. A few droplets of tears forming around his eyes. She could see that she had discovered something he held secret, but it wasn't about the case.

"You were right, detective, we don't have children. I'm to blame for that." Mr. Montague said, sniffling a bit. "It was hard to hear it from my doctor, even harder when I told my wife that I wasn't able to start a family with her."

Pinkie Pie remained quiet, her heart already breaking for him.

"My wife, my sweetheart, she said she never wanted children anyway. It was lie of course. We had names already picked out before we were married." Mr. Montague wiped his nose with his handkerchief. "Sometimes I feel the need to… have a drink to bury my guilt again."

"But she loves you, Mr. Montague." Pinkie Pie said sympathetically.

"A colt is supposed to provide and protect his family. I have provided, and protected, but I failed to produce a family." Mr. Montague said clearing his throat and pocketing his handkerchief.

Pinkie Pie looked very sad for him; unsure of what to say.

"I work with younger ponies, detective, I consider them my colleagues, but a part of me feels responsible for them. So please find Sir Lancaster, he's a good colt, and a brilliant scholar, and I'm sure his wife would be ecstatic to have him home again." Mr. Montague implored her.

"I'll find him, Mr. Montague, I promise." Pinkie Pie said determinedly.

Mr. Montague was given no further questions, escorted by the Police Pony to his cell. In the observation room, Rarity and Trixie were clinging to one another, tears streaming down their faces from the story they just heard. The Constable had left the room to fetch a box of tissues for them, allowing them time to collect themselves, and Pinkie Pie, before continuing the investigation.

Pinkie Pie hadn't realized that the reason for Mr. Montague not having children wasn't by choice. It had taken her by surprise, but knowing how Mr. Montague felt about his colleagues steeled herself to finding this culprit.

"Please send in Misses Minerva, and another donut." Pinkie Pie requested.

Misses Minerva entered the Interrogation Room, she looked rather pale, but she did her best to smile. Pinkie Pie offered her the seat across from her. Misses Minerva sat down, watching Pinkie Pie push a donut towards her.

"Here have a do-" Pinkie Pie was cut short by Misses Minerva turning rather green in the face.

With her hoof over her mouth, Missies Minerva ducked under the table, taking hold of the trashcan there, only to see the other half eaten donut. The sound of retching, vomiting, a sick filled the room; Pinkie Pie immediately getting to her hooves to keep Misses Minerva's mane from back; trying her best to comfort her.

"…thanks…" Misses Minerva groaned lifting her head.

"Is everything alright, Pinkie?" Rarity asked sounding concerned through the vent.

"Yeah, but we can use some help." Pinkie Pie replied.

There was a brief time spent cleaning up, the Police Pony having brought Misses Minerva some water and dried toast. She was given a blanket to help from her shivering, as Pinkie Pie sat next to her rather than across from her; gently rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been feeling myself lately." Misses Minerva apologized.

"Don't even worry about it, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Pinkie Pie asked sounding concerned.

"I wake up feeling just awful, but then as the day goes on I'm feeling much better. I used to love donuts, but lately I can stand the sight of them." Missies Minerva explained.

"I wonder what might have caused her to react like that?" Trixie asked, watching through the glass.

"It is rather peculiar isn't it?" Rarity questioned it as well.

Pinkie Pie didn't feel like asking Misses Minerva too many questions, but Sir Lancaster was still missing; he needed to be found.

"Misses Minerva, Sir Lancaster kept a timetable of your schedule, having pointed out some oddities. You've taken long lunches, and been showing up to work late. Although, I can see that it might have something to do with your sickness." Pinkie Pie stated.

"That weasel, keeping tabs on us, I should punch him!" Misses Minerva snapped kicking the table rather hard.

"We have to find him fir- wait… us?" Pinkie Pie asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, James and I." Misses Minerva stated.

"He took tabs on every pony at the museum." Pinkie Pie clarified.

Misses Minerva face started to flush. She had misunderstood thinking that Sir Lancaster was just keeping track of her. It was clear now that something was going on between James and herself. Pinkie was rather surprised that she hadn't seen it sooner. Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva's times were identical, even the discrepancies.

"Mr. Bartlesby wouldn't tell us what he was doing during those hours, would you be willing to tell us?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"N-N-No, I refuse as well!" Misses Minerva snapped, turning her head away from her.

Pinkie Pie got up from her chair, heading towards the two way mirror, stepping up to the vent.

"Can I get some more donuts in here, please?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Misses Minerva's face went ghastly again.

"No! Please! Detective! I just-I just can't tell you, you have to believe me!" Misses Minerva pleaded.

"There is a pony missing, a colleague of yours. You should be more concerned for his safety then your little fraternizing with Mr. Bartlesby." Pinkie Pie stated.

Trixie and Rarity gasped at this. Having suddenly realized that Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva was an item, and that they were running off to be together during work hours. Trixie and Rarity muscled past the Constable to the vent to hear what was going on better; starving for the juicy details of their secret love affair.

Missies Minerva flushing furiously, her secret, or perhaps their secret, had been found out.

"So how long has this been going on?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"None of your business." Misses Minerva snapped coldly.

"I'm not sure why you have to keep it such a secret from every pony; I thought you colleagues would be excited and happy for you." Pinkie Pie stated.

"Yeah, and have every pony from here to Canterlot talking about it." Misses Minerva spat miserably.

"What's the problem?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"I'm the problem; I'm just a vagrant, a peasant, an undesirable, a commoner pony that shouldn't be mixing herself with nobility. I'm not good enough to share Bartlesby name." Misses Minerva pouted, becoming emotional from her own taunting.

"Did Mr. Bartlesby say that?" Rarity asked in horror through the vent.

"No! His father did! Refusing to let James see me, or he would be disowned from the family." Misses Minerva shouted, tears welling in her eyes.

"And what did James do?" Trixie asked from the vent.

"Would you to sit down!" The Constable shouted over the vent, trying to regain control of the observation room.

"He… he… he… told me he didn't care what his father said. That he would throw it all away to… to… to…" Misses Minerva covered her eyes, crying to herself.

Pinkie Pie put an arm around her, trying to comfort her; slowly rocking her back and forth.

"So you and Mr. Bartlesby had 'secret' meet ups at the museum, even some late night ones, huh?" Pinkie Pie asked comfortingly.

"I wouldn't let him walk away from his family, I didn't want that. So we saw each other whenever we could, sometimes during lunch, or we'd spend the night together at my place. It was exciting, like one of those cheesy romance novels you see. Then I started getting sick and James kept trying to take care me, coming over every morning to check on me." Misses Minerva mumbled, wiping her eyes.

"It _does_ sound like those cheesy romance novels; I want a copy of the tape when it is all over." Trixie stated; hanging on every word Minerva spoke.

"Except that the mare isn't so sick and throwing up every morn-" Rarity stopped herself short; her eyes widening at the sudden realization.

Leaping towards the vent, nearly toppling the Constable over, Rarity opened the vent as fast she could; having closed and opened it nearly twenty times in her panic.

"Misses Minerva is pregnant!" Rarity shouted into the vent.

At these words, Misses Minerva perked up, her face a soft rosy red, and her body not shaking anymore. Pinkie Pie looked just as surprised, having put one and one together but not realizing it had actually made three. Missies Minerva looked almost happy at the news, she seemed to understand why she was so sick all the time, why her taste in food changed, and her mood swings.

"I wonder… I wonder if James will be happy to hear it?" Misses Minerva asked herself.

"Of course he will!" Rarity and Trixie shouted together from the vent.

There was a commotion outside the Interrogation Room door. It swung open with a slam, three Police Ponies were struggling against Mr. Bartlesby who seemed to be fighting to his way to get into the room. A pony in a very nice suit was threatening the Police Ponies with legal action if he did not let go of his client.

"Rachel! Rachel! Don't say anything! I'll get you a lawyer!" Mr. Bartlesby shouted over their struggling.

The Constable emerged in the hallway, having seemed to be at the end of his patience. Taking hold of Mr. Bartlesby by the collar, he pulled him into the Interrogation Room, throwing him forward; watching him stumble a bit. The lawyer pony was threatening up a storm about the legal ramifications of what was going to happen if they didn't release his client, but the Constable slammed the door in his face.

"My lawyer needs to be present for this." Mr. Bartlesby stated, fixing his collar.

"Your lawyer doesn't need to hear about this." The Constable replied.

Mr. Bartlesby looked rather confused, but noticing the blanket wearing and pale faced Minerva that sat on the chair. He took immediately to her, fussing over her, asking dozens of question concerning her health and how she was being treated; obviously overreacting to his special somepony.

"I'm taking you to see a doctor; end of discussion." Mr. Bartlesby stated firmly holding her hoof.

"Do you love me, James?" Minerva asked quietly, face flushing.

"Wh-Wh-What?" Mr. Bartlesby asked looking embarrassed.

"You're supposed to say yes!" Trixie and Rarity shouted together from the vent.

"I-I-I-I… my love, why are we talking about this now? In front of all these ponies? We're supposed to be keeping it a secret." Mr. Bartlesby asked her nervously.

"It won't be a secret for much longer." Misses Minerva said with a smile. "You're going to be daddy."

Mr. Bartlesby, or in this moment, James, seemed to lose every ounce of pride and nobility; shrieking like a little filly and hugging Minerva tightly in disbelief. He was nearly bouncing, unable to contain his excitement, kissing her repeatedly on her head, over the moon from the news.

* * *

James and Rachel sat together in the Interrogation Room, loving holding onto one another, discussing their future together. Mr. Bartlesby's lawyer, who of course was Senior Bartlesby's lawyer had let slip the news of the engagement of his son and the mare he had forbade him to see. With Senior Bartlesby, on his way to the Yard to confront his son and eventual daughter-in-law, it was pretty clear to the Constable and Pinkie Pie that none of the ponies had had a hoof in Sir Lancaster's disappearance. The Constable, Rarity, Trixie, and Pinkie Pie sat in his office, trying to plan their next move.

"Another dead end." The Constable said miserably.

"We've cleared four innocent ponies today, Constable, that's something." Pinkie Pie said encouragingly.

"The Press is getting wind of this, I'll have to make a statement soon, and I'll have no pony in custody. This isn't going to go over well." The Constable explained.

"We're not giving up yet, Constable. The three of us will uncover who is behind this." Rarity reassured him.

The door to the Constable's office slammed opened. A Police Pony quickly rushed in, holding a clipboard under his hoof, approaching the Constable's desk; looking very worried.

"What? What is it?" The Constable asked quickly.

"Sir, the evidence locker has been raided! Sir Lancaster's saddle bag has been taken!" The Police Pony stated hurriedly.

"Stolen?" The Constable asked in disbelief rising to his hooves.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity exchanged glances with each other. Trixie felt her stomach drop, having been asked to watch over it for Sir Lancaster and having failed to that much for him.

"Who could have stolen it? No pony can get into the evidence lock up without proper clearance!" The Constable asked in disbelief.

The Police Pony passed him the clipboard, still looking rather distraught.

"The pony did have clearance, sir." The Police Pony stated.

The Constable recognized the paper on the clipboard to be the sign in and out sheet for the Evidence Locker. Quickly scanning the names of every pony on it, until he reached the last name on the list; his eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Who? Who is it, Constable?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Duke Wellington." The Constable said quietly.


	28. Chapter 28: Changing the Guard

The whole of Trottingham Yard was in a mad frenzy to find Duke Wellington. To be bringing in a member of Royalty for questioning was nearly unheard of, but even more that the Duke was now their prime suspect in the disappearance of Sir Lancaster. It was going to be nearly impossible to keep this from the Press, and the Duke had made off with the only solid piece of evidence they had. With no pony having even considered the Duke being a possible suspect, no Police Pony took any notice of him when he left or where he was going; which meant the Duke had a head start on wherever he was planning on going.

The Constable was coordinating a massive pony hunt to find the Duke, using his connections to discreetly inform the Royal Guard of the Duke's involvement with the case; hoping to intercept him before the Duke knew they were after him. Pinkie Pie was having a rather hard time believing that the Duke himself would have done such a thing.

"There is no way the Duke is responsible for this." Pinkie Pie stated decisively.

"We have several Police Ponies that can place him at the Evidence Locker. Unless the bag itself just magically got up and left, we have to assume the Duke took it." The Constable replied.

"The Duke organized the whole Research Team, it doesn't make sense for him to steal Sir Lancaster's saddle bag or even kidnap him. That would be counterproductive." Pinkie Pie insisted.

"Perhaps the Duke had ulterior motives for doing what he did, and perhaps Sir Lancaster caught on; forcing the Duke to take drastic measures." The Constable guessed.

"He wanted to help Sparky! He told us so himself! He wouldn't do something like this!" Pinkie Pie shouted; visibly upset by this.

"He lied, Detective. That much is clear now." The Constable stated rather bluntly.

The tension had become awkward, it was clear that the Constable and Pinkie Pie were at different ends of this new lead. Heading for the door, the Constable was getting ready to discuss his plan with the rest of the Police Ponies on the Duke's capture.

"I need to speak with my officers, remain here until I return." The Constable stated; in a warning like tone.

Stepping out of his office, the Constable closed the door behind him, leaving Rarity, Trixie, and Pinkie Pie alone to sort out a plan for themselves. Pinkie seemed rather frustrated with herself, the Duke was considered to be a friend, but now with his possible involvement she was going to have to figure out whether or not she was the donkey she thought he was.

"Pinkie, darling, are you alright?" Rarity asked sounding sympathetic.

"You don't believe the Duke did it, do you, Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked her sounding rather hopeful.

"Well, Pinkie, the evidence so far does make it rather difficult not to suspect him." Rarity mentioned, trying not to hurt her feelings.

"It really doesn't make any sense, does it?" Trixie asked, sounding defeated.

"This whole case really has become quite the conundrum." Rarity remarked, massaging her temples.

"There has to be something we're missing, something that we've overlooked." Pinkie Pie growled, rocking back and forth trying to figure it out.

"Let's review what we know so far. Sir Lancaster feels that he cannot trust a pony, so he begins to keep tabs on every pony, trying to figure out who he can trust. Eventually, he is accosted by one or several ponies that force him to flee with his saddle bag; containing information about the Void." Rarity began, reviewing what they knew.

"Sir Lancaster comes to me to safeguard his saddle bag, and that following day he is pronounced missing. I arrive at the moor, per his instructions, where I am arrested and brought here." Trixie added to the story.

"We scope out the museum, find the parchment that has kept tabs upon every pony, we crosscheck all our suspects and find them all innocent of any wrong doings, which then leads us to the Duke stealing the Sir Lancaster's saddle bag from evidence lockup." Pinkie Pie concluded sounding very depressed.

"So… what are we missing?" Rarity asked, trying to sound hopeful.

"I… I… I don't know…" Pinkie Pie mumbled, covering her face with her hooves.

"Oh Pinkie, to be too hard on yourself, you've done such an incredible job so far in solving this case so far. I bet no pony would have suspected you to be such a great detective if not for your brilliant mind and your rather tasteful ensemble." Rarity encouraged her, patting her on the back.

Pinkie Pie sat up straight so fast that it startled Rarity and Trixie. Her eyes were wide, as if having a sudden revelation to this case.

"No pony… would suspect…" Pinkie Pie repeated the question to herself.

"Pinkie, are you al-" Rarity began.

"Rarity! You're a genius!" Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly.

The Constable strode down the hall towards the Meeting Room where several of his Officer Ponies were waiting to receive orders on what to do next in their hunt for the Duke. Entering the room, the Constable could see every pony speaking amongst themselves over what had transpired.

"Every pony sit down so we can get this underway. The faster we're done here the faster we can find the Duke." The Constable announced.

The Captain Ponies all sat in their chairs, the room falling silent to allow the Constable to speak his mind.

"We're trying to keep this under our saddles for as long as we can before the media ponies get wind of it. This means we'll have at least half a day before we start getting some reporters here asking questions, but hopefully by that time we'll have the Duke in custody." The Constable began taking some chalk from the table and turning to the chalkboard behind him.

Drawing the chalk across the board, the Constable began to explain the methods in which to begin their search. Determining how far the Duke would have been able to travel on hoof, and by cart. Targeting specific areas in which the Duke frequented often, and the places of friends that might harbor him.

"If we mobilize within the next hour, we can have all of Trottingham on lock down and keep the Duke from leaving the city. Our priority is to apprehend the Duke, discreetly if possible, but it is imperative that we recover the saddle bag he had taken. Are there any questions?" The Constable asked in his conclusion of the meeting.

"Does the Royal Family know about any of this?" A Police Pony asked.

"As of right now, no, we're trying to minimize the amount of ponies that are aware of this current situation." The Constable replied.

There didn't seem to be any more questions, every Police Pony looked to one another nodding their heads in understanding.

"Alright, let's go." The Constable stated.

The Police Ponies rose from their chairs, heading towards the door, but as the first Police Pony arrived at it he locked it. The Constable looked rather confused, his Police Ponies turning towards him, sinister grins appearing on their faces.

"Wh-What are you all smiling at?" The Constable asked, sounding unnerved.

The Police Ponies rushed the Constable, taking him by surprise, wrestling him to the floor and using their hoofcuffs to keep him subdued.

"What is the meaning of this? Have you all gone mad?" The Constable demanded; struggling against them.

The Constable felt himself become gagged with an apple from some Police Ponies lunch. A large brown sack being dragged towards him, the Police Ponies stuffed him in before tying off the opening.

The commotion coming from the Meeting Room had drawn the attention of some of the other Police Ponies that were dealing with the day to day problems plaguing Trottingham. One Police Pony decided to see what all the noise was about, reaching for the door, but found it swinging open. The Constable standing over him, with dozens of his Police Ponies crowding behind him, and was carrying a stern face about him.

"C-C-C-Constable?" The Police Pony stammered in surprise.

"We have three suspects within my office that are accomplices of the Duke, arrest them and hold them for questioning." The Constable commanded.

"O-O-O-Of course, right away, sir!" The Police Pony stated, throwing him a salute.

Back within the Constable's office, Pinkie Pie was hugging Rarity firmly; bouncing up and down in excitement.

"We've been _looking_ at this all wrong!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking Rarity's shoulders and shaking her a bit.

"Looking at what wrong?" Trixie asked feeling confused.

"It's so obvious now! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before! It's brilliant!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed hurrying to the door.

"Pinkie! Where are you going?" Rarity shouted after her.

" _We_ are going to solve this case! There's not a moment to lose! To the moor!" Pinkie Pie cried in delight; opening the door and leaving the room.

Rarity and Trixie looked at one another, obviously missing some crucial detail Pinkie Pie had just discovered. With a confused shrug, Rarity took off after Pinkie Pie as Trixie galloped after her. Just before reaching the door, Pinkie Pie reappeared, but being held by a Police Pony. Pinkie struggled against the Police Pony, who had a hoof clasped over her mouth, and an arm around her chest; holding her tightly from escaping. Rarity hit the brakes, sliding to a stop right before the Constable who emerged from the doorway.

"C-C-Constable?" Rarity stammered in fright and surprise.

"Seize these two as well." The Constable stated coldly.

"Wha-What is the meaning of this?" Rarity demanded, struggling against two Police Ponies that took a firm grip of her arms.

"You have been deemed cohorts with Duke Wellington, on the grounds of interfering with this missing pony case, and the aiding in stolen evidence." The Constable replied.

"That's completely unfair; we have had nothing to-" Rarity was quickly silenced by a Police Pony's hoof covering her mouth.

"Don't forget the other one. I'm sure she's tied into this somehow. Her friends would not have tried to clear her name otherwise." The Constable instructed the remaining Police Ponies.

Trixie's heart was already halfway to Ponyville at the speed it was beating. Slowly backing away from the approaching Police Ponies, Trixie looked to Pinkie Pie who was still struggling against her captor, trying to mime to her that she should run. Her magic wasn't all that powerful, she could not take on Police Ponies horn to hoof, but she still had a trick or two of her own. Feeling herself bump up against the front of the Constable's desk, Trixie quickly mantled it, standing upon it, and her horn beginning to glow brightly. This caused the Police Ponies to stop short, looking to the Constable who looked quite surprised by her sudden move.

"Now, now, Ms. Lulamoon. You haven't been charged with anything yet, and I can assure you a fair investigation. There's no need to do anything rash." The Constable said to her, trying to talk her down from using her magic.

"I now know how Sir Lancaster felt, unsure of whom to trust, but just like him, I will choose to trust in my friends, Constable!" Trixie declared; bravery and fear in her voice.

With a sudden explosion of light, Trixie disappeared on the spot in a cloud of white smoke. Leaving every pony baffled by spectacle.

"Find her! Find Ms. Lulamoon and take her into custody!" The Constable shouted angrily; having been made a fool of.

"Sir, what of the two suspects?" The Police Pony asked, looking towards Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

"Have them loaded into the Police Cart, we're taking them to our sister location across the River Reigns. We're locking down the Yard until Ms. Lulamoon is in custody. We're not letting her escape." The Constable ordered.

Rarity was saying some very unladylike things to the Constable, only muffled by the hoof of the Police Pony, who pulled her down the staircase. Pinkie Pie was no longer struggling against her Police Pony, her narrowed eyes met the Constable, he smirked at her, knowing that she had come close to solving this case, but being too late to stop it.

Trixie peeked out from the door of the Observation Room, neighboring the Interrogation Room. She could see several Police Ponies running up and down the corridor looking for her. Lucky for her, her magic came through for her this time, having actually accomplished the teleportation spell and allowing her to avoid capture, but she wasn't sure how long her luck was going to hold out. With the hallway clear of any Police Ponies for the moment, Trixie knew it was only a matter of time before she would be discovered here, and decided to relocate.

Carefully stepping out into the hallway, Trixie looked around one last time to see if the coast was clear, and bolted down the corridor towards the back of the Yard. Turning the corner, Trixie slammed on the brakes, having spotted two Police Ponies searching the rooms at the other end of the hallway. Turning to head back, her luck ran out once more as two more Police Ponies emerged at other end of the corridor she had just come from.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" Trixie whispered to herself, unable to figure out where to go.

" _Trixie! Overhear_!" A voice hissed at her.

Trixie looked about quickly seeing Misses Minerva peeking out from a door, motioning for her to come inside. Without much deliberation Trixie complied, rushing into the as Misses Minerva closed the door behind her. Once inside, Trixie saw it was not only Misses Minerva, but Mr. Bartlesby, and Mr. Montague as well.

"Where are the Detective and her assistant?" Mr. Montague asked quickly.

"Pinkie Pie and Rarity have already been taken into custody by the Constable." Trixie replied, feeling a bit of relief in seeing these ponies.

"Pastry bits!" Mr. Montague muttered in frustration. "We're too late then."

"Too late? What are you talking about?" Trixie asked feeling confused.

"I was returning from the lobby, after seeing my father off, when I found myself rather hungry. I made my way to the cafeteria near the back of this place when I witnessed something very disturbing. Through a small crack in the doorway to the cafeteria, I witnessed several Police Ponies were struggling to detain one of their own. At first I thought that the officer struggling was the culprit, but the cruel way they seemed to subdue him made him seem more like the victim. They hid him with a sack before dragging him away into the back of the cafeteria." Mr. Bartlesby explained to her.

Trixie's eyes grew wide upon hearing this.

"Oh my sweet Celestia! Rachel, what did James's father say? About you two being together?" Trixie asked quickly, taking her hooves; her eyes intensely staring at her.

"I hardly think that this is the time to be discussing-" Mr. Bartlesby began, flushing at the concern she had over their private life.

"Senior Bartlesby didn't seem all that happy with it to begin with, but when we told him that he was going to a grandpony he couldn't help but seem excited about the notion." Misses Minerva replied, flushing herself.

"They are to be married at the first of the month." Mr. Montague stated, wrapping his arm around the very embarrassed Mr. Bartlesby.

"That is so wonderful, Minerva! I'm so happy for you!" Trixie exclaimed embracing her.

"Could we get back to the hostile takeover of the Yard?" Mr. Bartlesby asked, trying to get back on track.

"Takeover?" Trixie asked in disbelief.

"It would seem so, we aren't sure how many Police Ponies have been replaced by these… imposters, but it is safe to say that we cannot trust any pony in uniform." Mr. Montague stated.

"What are we supposed to do? If we can't go to any Police Pony for help, how are we supposed to rescue Pinkie Pie and Rarity?" Trixie asked worriedly.

"I'm not the detective that Ms. Pinkamena is, but I feel that this is the problem that Sir Lancaster had run into." Misses Minerva mentioned.

Trixie couldn't help but see the resemblance to the problem Sir Lancaster was facing. Although, to her, it was unclear what the overall goal was for whoever was behind all this. Some raised voices were heard coming closer to the room; Trixie was pulled by Misses Minerva to hide behind the sofa while Mr. Montague and Mr. Bartlesby approached the door. Opening it ever so slightly, Mr. Bartlesby leaned in to listen.

"The Constable is transporting the captives to the Queen as we speak; it won't be long before the final move is made against the Trottingham Empire." A rather sinister sounding Police Pony remarked.

"To think that little pink pony almost ruined everything." Stated the second sinister sounding Police Pony.

"It doesn't matter. We've have the the Duke and the Constable sacked away in the back. No pony has clue to what's _really_ going on. All we have to do is find that last pony." The imposter Police Pony chuckled to himself.

"We have to do something and fast." Mr. Bartlesby insisted, peeking out the door.

"What _can_ we do?" Misses Minerva hissed.

"We take matters into our own hooves." Mr. Montague stated courageously.

Mr. Montague moved Mr. Bartlesby to the side, opening the door wide, drawing the attention of the two imposter ponies.

"What do you want?" The imposter Police Pony asked, looking rather surprised to see him step out so suddenly.

"The pony you two are looking for is hiding inside this room." Mr. Montague declared to them.

Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva looked horrified by what he has just said. Trixie felt her stomach tighten at the thought of being discovered, peeking underneath the sofa to see the hooves of the two Police Ponies stepping into the room from the door.

"You're kidding?" The imposter Police Pony remarked looking around the room in amazement at their stroke of luck.

"So where is the po-" The other imposter Police Pony didn't get to finish.

Mr. Montague had taken hold of both their heads, slamming them hard together, knocking them out cold. The two imposter Police Ponies dropped to the floor unconscious, as Mr. Montague slapped his hooves together; feeling that it was a job well done.

"Mr. Montague, I am surprised!" Misses Minerva said looking amazed by his underhoofedness.

"I was part of the Royal 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, veteran of the Chimeras Rampage of High Basin Peak and two year champion of the hoof to cuffs Tournament held in our old barracks. It seems I haven't lost my touch." Mr. Montague stated proudly.

"What exactly are we supposed to do with them now? Surely they'll know they've gone missing." Mr. Bartlesby questioned him.

"Were you not listening, young colt? The Duke of Trottingham and the Constable himself are sacked away in the back of this place; namely the cafeteria. We pilfer their uniforms, sneak in, rescue our comrades and stop the coup before any of these fakes are the wiser." Mr. Montague explained to him.

"I-I-I-I'm no soldier pony." Mr. Bartlesby stated, looking rather nervous.

"You have a duty to this city, to the Queen, to yourself, but more importantly to the family you are starting. Stand up for what is right and help save our Empire's future." Mr. Montague stated firmly.

Mr. Bartlesby looked rather flabbergasted by his words. Some of his fear turned to courage, feeling that his precious Minerva may be harmed by these imposter ponies. Nodding his head in agreement, the two started to relieve the imposter ponies of their garb.

Upon touching them, the two imposter ponies suddenly flared in a sudden turquoise flame. What was left lying before them had every pony gasping at the sight.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie had their hooves shackled, having been placed inside the Police Cart. The doors locked from the outside. Rarity was given magically enchanted shackles that could not be dispelled by any means of a regular Unicorn Pony magic; anything short of a veteran spell caster or even an Alicorn could not break the bonds. The cart had been traveling for quite some time, bumping along the cobblestone road as they went.

"Pinkie, what has happened? Why has the Constable arrested us? We've been nothing but an asset to him this entire time." Rarity questioned her; cringing at the unsightliness of her ugly shackles.

"Everything came together too late, Rarity. I was a fool not to have noticed it earlier." Pinkie Pie muttered, sounding rather dramatic.

"Have you solved this case, Pinkie?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"Sir Lancaster knew exactly what he was dealing with, his tabs on ponies were not out of suspicion, as I had thought previously; he was keeping watch over them." Pinkie began to clarify.

"Keeping watch over them?" Rarity asked sounding confused.

The rumble of the cobblestone streets disappeared. The sound of dirt under wheel could be heard.

"When he uncovered the truth, he ran that to protect his friends, to protect his family, because he knew that his disappearance would spark the investigation. Trixie was the only pony far outside the realm of suspicion that he could trust, giving her his saddle bag for safe keeping and telling her exactly where to find the very next day." Pinkie Pie continued.

"The moor!" Rarity exclaimed in surprise.

"I believed it was merely a place so far away from the museum that the culprits would not think to look, but I never thought to question why the Police Ponies knew where to find her." Pinkie Pie elaborated further.

"What are you saying, Pinkie?" Rarity asked sounding very enticed with her deduction.

"I'm saying is that the Police Ponies are in on this, trying to make Trixie a scapegoat, trying to divert our attention away from the bigger picture with the rest of the research team being considered suspects. It was all a ploy to keep us busy while the culprits cleaned up their mess. The kidnapping of Sir Lancaster, George the Security Pony, even our capture is part of their plan." Pinkie Pie stated.

"What plan, Pinkie?" Rarity asked, unable to contain the suspense.

"We've been _looking_ at our culprits' right in the face, the unexplained creature at the museum, the one that scared Sir Lancaster and Julian the Janitor Pony, the theft of Sir Lancaster's saddle bag by the Duke, and even the Constable arresting us." Pinkie Pie mumbled looking rather annoyed by it.

"I don't follow." Rarity remarked, trying to figure it out.

The cart lurched to a stop. The sound of many hooves approaching the Police Cart. The latch of the doors clicked open, swinging wide, the bright sun illuminating the dark cart. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were pulled from the cart, pushed to the ground by the Police Ponies who chuckled in their cruelty. Rarity blew a puff of air to move her mane from her face, having taken notice of her surroundings. They were still very much near Trottingham, having not even crossed the river of Reigns.

"This is the moor." Rarity remarked in surprise.

"You're quite the detective aren't you?" A familiar voice asked aloud.

Rarity watched the group of Police Ponies disband to allow for the Duke to step into view. The Duke wore a rather sinister grin upon his face with Sir Lancaster's saddle bag strewn over his shoulder. The Constable appeared from the crowd, strolling up alongside him, an equally evil grin adorning his, every Police Pony snickering to themselves.

"What is the meaning of this?" Rarity demanded.

"Haven't you figured it out, darling?" The Duke asked teasingly.

"You won't get away with this you two faced, bug eyed, monster!" Pinkie Pie shouted attempting to lash out at her.

The Police Ponies had firm grip of their shackles' chains, preventing Pinkie or Rarity from getting to close to the Duke or the Constable.

"It was very surprising to see the two of you again, although, I can't say I'm surprised. What really was surprising is how close you came to ruining everything, but now that you're my prisoners, my plan can proceed." The Duke stated with an evil grim.

Rarity watched the Duke, the Constable, and every Police Pony suddenly plume in a turquoise flame. Standing before her was none other than Queen Chrysalis, and her changelings all laughing together at their misfortune.

"Surprised? At least one of you is. Then again, the Duke, the Constable, the Security guard, and even poor little Lancaster were rather surprised to see me. But when you're attempting to gain control of the Trottingham Empire it is imperative to remain unseen." Queen Chrysalis remarked.

"So that's why Sir Lancaster couldn't go to any pony for help, he knew you were here and didn't know who to trust." Rarity stated, feeling everything making sense.

"Well that would be _Mandible's_ fault, now wouldn't it?" Queen Chrysalis said rather harshly towards one the changelings.

The changeling named Mandible seemed to shrink in embarrassment.

"It matters not, the Trottingham Empire will soon be under my control and with the research I have collected from that fancy pony I will be able to unlock the unstoppable power of the Void!" Queen Chrysalis declared; her changelings cheering.


	29. Chapter 29: Smoke and Fears

Unconscious, lying upon the floor of the Waiting Room, were two insect like ponies. They had black carapace-like exteriors, webbed manes and tails, having fangs, bent horns, jagged ears, their wings were insect-like, and had holes in their legs. Neither Mr. Bartlesby, Mr. Montague, Misses Minerva, nor Trixie had ever seen such a creature before. It horrified them, as well as brought them great curiosity of to what they were.

"I… don't understand, what are these… these things?" Mr. Bartlesby asked looking confused.

"I haven't seen anything quite like this before, it's outstanding to say the least." Mr. Montague remarked with intrigue examining them closer.

"You look at them and think outstanding? Putrid is a far better word." Misses Minerva remarked, covering her mouth with her hoof trying not to fall ill at the sight of them.

"They do appear to be a subset of pony, I can't be sure, but it appears that they have the ability to shape-shift into perfect copies of any pony of their choosing. Making them quite useful for infiltrating, much like what we have seen going on around here." Mr. Montague reported after giving them once over.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Mr. Bartlesby asked, feeling that things were becoming wildly out of hoof.

"Our first step is to restrict these two, look for something we can use to bind them together." Mr. Montague stated.

"I have some rope we can use." Trixie offered.

Trixie's horn began glowing, her magic magically conjuring a wealth of rope in out of thin air, floating to Mr. Montague. With the help of Mr. Bartlesby, Mr. Montague was able to tie the two strange creatures together.

"This should hold them for now." Mr. Montague remarked, pulling on the knot a few more times to ensure it was secure.

"What do we do now?" Misses Minerva asked.

"The plan doesn't change; we rescue our comrades and come up with a plan to save the detective and her assistant." Mr. Montague replied heading for the door.

"But without their uniforms we'll be stopped by any Police Pony walking around and it might be more of whatever these two are." Mr. Bartlesby refuted, not liking the plan.

"We need to act quickly before they move the Duke and the Constable to a more secure location." Mr. Montague argued.

"I can conjure up a distraction to allow the two of you to sneak out." Trixie offered them.

"Can you really?" Misses Minerva asked in surprise.

"I can conjure up a few smoke bombs, making it appear like a fire has started; it should by you enough time to reach the cafeteria." Trixie explained.

"Classic misdirection, it's perfect." Mr. Montague replied sounding onboard with this plan.

"The cafeteria is down this corridor, a left, then a right, we can't miss it." Mr. Bartlesby explained to Mr. Montague.

"After you have deployed the smoke bombs, you and Misses Minerva will stay here with our captured fiends, keeping out of sight until our return." Mr. Montague instructed them.

"I will deploy them near the lobby, in an attempt to draw them as far from the back of the Yard as possible." Trixie stated, trying not to seem nervous.

Mr. Bartlesby be hugged Misses Minerva, promising her that everything will be alright, trying to gather as much courage as he could to help him through this.

"We'll make our move as soon as the bombs go off; we meet back here, no exceptions." Mr. Montague stated to them.

With a nod from every pony, Mr. Montague opened the door a bit to see if the coast was clear. Motioning towards Trixie to come closer, Trixie stepped forward taking a peek for herself. The hallway was empty, giving her the best shot of reaching the lobby. Taking a deep breath, Trixie rushed out of the room and into the hallway. Her galloping would cause too much noise upon the stone flooring, doing her best to run from one end of the hall to the next, stopping periodically to listen for other hoof steps.

Coming to a stop at one corner, Trixie peered around the edge to see a group of Police Ponies standing around in the lobby speaking with one another. Trixie couldn't tell who was an actual Police Pony, and who was an imposter, but it at the moment it didn't matter because both were looking for her. Focusing her magic, Trixie's horn started to glow, creating several smoke bombs that she scooped out of the air. These were her most explosive, thick, and longest lasting smoke bombs she had in her arsenal.

"You can do this Trixie, you can do this." Trixie whispered to herself.

At that moment, the door a few steps behind Trixie opened up, a Police Pony stepping out with a cup of coffee in his hoof. Whipping around to look at him, Trixie froze on the spot, so had the Police Pony who had caught sight of her crouched down near the corner right in the middle of a sip of his drink. The Police Pony was first to move, spitting out the sip he had taken to shout to the other Police Ponies, but Trixie got the better of him. With her magic, she lodged one of her smoke bombs in the Police Pony's mouth, shoving him back into the room, and slamming the door shut.

"Sorry!" Trixie shouted, unsure if it was an imposter or not.

There was a loud boom that shook the Yard, the smoke bomb having gone off inside the room with the Police Pony; causing every Police Pony on the Yard to become startled.

"I think it came from over here!" A Police Pony from the lobby shouted.

With the sound of many hooves galloping down the hall towards Trixie, she tossed the rest of the smoke bombs blindly around the corner. There were a few soft plops of the bombs before an enormous boom rattled the Yard, blowing an immense smoke cloud through the halls and causing countless Police Ponies to have a mad coughing fit. Unable to see through the smoke, the Police Ponies were bumping into one another, the walls, the waste baskets, trying to figure out what the hay just happened. More shouting from other areas of the Yard could be heard, more hooves approaching the lobby.

Lucky for Trixie, she had plenty of experience making her grand exit from sudden smoke bombs during her performances. Conjuring herself a good length of tied handkerchiefs, Trixie tied one end to the door the Police Pony had surprised her from and quickly crossed the hall towards the other side to tie it off on a water fountain. The charging Police Ponies, who had not been caught in the blast, rushed through the smoke, trying to determine the cause and the source of it, found themselves being clotheslined by the handkerchief and sprawling out onto the floor. Deciding that this was the best time to make her escape, Trixie disappeared into the clouds of smoke to make her way back to the Waiting Room.

Meanwhile, Mr. Montague and Mr. Bartlesby had heard the first minor explosion, followed by the very immense boom that shortly followed. Allowing the Police Ponies near the back of the Yard to come running past their door to see what had happened, they slipped out when the coast was clear to find their missing comrades.

Mr. Montague took the lead, the whole experience had him feeling that his was a young colt in the army once more, but Mr. Bartlesby was shaking like a leaf; his whole life had been in books and not combat. Racing through the hallways, Trixie's diversion had been successful in clearing the way to the cafeteria, allowing them to reach it without a single Police Pony to stop them.

Reaching the cafeteria doors, Mr. Montague peered through the windows to scope out what was happening on the inside. It was vacant of any pony, prompting Mr. Montague to throw open the doors and rush in.

"James, which way?" Mr. Montague asked, looking around.

"To the kitchen, I saw them dragging the pony filled sack to the back." Mr. Bartlesby replied.

Mr. Montague and Mr. Bartlesby raced towards the kitchen. Mr. Bartlesby watched in amazement as Mr. Montague mantled over the counter and proceeded to roll through the kitchen window all in one fluid motion. Not daring to attempt such a feat, Mr. Bartlesby took the side route, going through the double doors to find Mr. Montague upside down in a rather large soup pot; unable to free himself.

"Get this blasted thing off me!" Mr. Montague's voice could be heard through the metal pot.

Mr. Bartlesby came to his assistance, knocking the soup pot over and pulling on his legs before a soft pop was heard and Mr. Montague came free. Looking rather embarrassed with himself, Mr. Montague cleared his throat, smoothing out his jacket.

"We can leave that part out when we get back to the others." Mr. Montague mumbled.

Mr. Bartlesby nodded his head; trying not to crack a smile at Mr. Montague's embarrassment. There was a large double door leading to the back of the kitchen, where all the supplies and food were kept, the place where the Duke, the Constable, and the other captured Police Ponies were being held. Rushing to the doors, Mr. Montague and Mr. Bartlesby kicked opened the double doors with a slam, James feeling quite heroic in doing so. His heroism quickly drained away as they found themselves staring down a Bugbear that had been roused from its slumber.

"W-W-What is that?" Mr. Bartlesby asked in fright.

"It's a Bugbear!" Mr. Montague shouted in disbelief.

The Bugbear got to its paws. Its bee-like stinger poised at them, its four arms flexing angrily, as its insect-like wings started to buzz, roaring a bone tingling challenge to them. Mr. Bartlesby stood frozen in fear and shock at what stood before them, the Bugbear took to the air, its stinger poised to run him through.

"Get out of the way!" Mr. Montague shouted, shoving Mr. Bartlesby out of the way.

The Bugbear swooped down towards Mr. Montague, taking hold of a baking sheet off the rack beside him; he deflected the Bugbear's stinger having it pierce his tray instead of him. The Bugbear took hold of Mr. Montague, with one of its four paws, soaring out through the kitchen and into the cafeteria where it buzzed around roaring in anger.

"Ha ha! Have at thee Bugbear, for I, Siegward Montague, of the Royal 5th Northumberland Fusiliers will show thee no quarter!" Mr. Montague declared landing a solid hoof strike in its face.

Mr. Bartlesby had gotten to his hooves; a metal colander had been knocked upon his head. He could hear the whooping and hollering cries of Mr. Montague fighting with the Bugbear in the cafeteria. Adjusting the colander upon his head, Mr. Bartlesby took hold of a soup ladle and rushed out of the back room, through the kitchen, to assist his friend.

"Mr. Montague!" Mr. Bartlesby shouted in horror watching the Bugbear struggle with him.

"I'm alright, lad! Find the others! I have this beast right where I want him!" Mr. Montague cried kicking the Bugbear in the chest.

Mr. Bartlesby retreated back into the kitchen, rushing towards the back room, but slowed his run. The struggled grunts of Mr. Montague and the roar of the Bugbear gave him pause.

"Is that all you got you buzzing beast? I've beaten dough tougher then you!" Mr. Montague taunted the Bugbear; striking it several more times in the face.

The Bugbear dived, slamming Mr. Montague hard onto a cafeteria table, pinning him down.

"…oh…" Mr. Montague groaned in pain. "… there goes my back…"

The Bugbear stomped its paw down upon the tray that covered his stinger, freeing itself, and towering over Mr. Montague with its stinger poised at him. Mr. Montague braced himself for the sting, wishing he was ten years younger to have given this Bugbear a proper trouncing when a sudden pop was heard.

Opening his eyes, Mr. Montague saw Mr. Bartlesby clinging to the Bugbear with both arms around its neck; the soup pot from before now lodge upon the Bugbear's head. The muffled roars of the Bugbear vibrated the pot, its claws scratching at the pot, stomping around, crashing into more tables and chairs, all the while Mr. Bartlesby clung to him; too afraid to let go.

"A fine hit, James! A fine hit inde-OW!" Mr. Montague tried to pick himself up only to feel the sharp pain in his back.

"W-W-What do I-I-I-I do n-n-now?" Mr. Bartlesby asked shakily, still clinging to the thrashing Bugbear.

"Finish it, lad! Strike it down!" Mr. Montague cried.

Mr. Bartlesby lifted his hoof, giving the softest punch Mr. Montague had ever seen against the side of the soup pot covering the Bugbear's head. With the Bugbear's thrashing, Mr. Bartlesby's grip failed, tossing him to the ground. Before he could rise himself, the Bugbear blindly stomped towards him; Mr. Bartlesby curled up into a ball, fearing for his life as the Bugbear tripped over him. The soup pot collided with the side of the counter with a mighty gong, the Bugbear suddenly going limp as it flopped to ground; knocked out.

"Ha ha! Well done, James! A fine show!" Mr. Montague cheered him.

Mr. Bartlesby opened his eyes, slowly uncurling from his ball defense, seeing the unconscious Bugbear ling beside him. Getting to his hooves, his legs still shaking, his heart beating out his chest, he felt himself smile, having bested the beast.

"Rescue our friends, James! I fear I have thrown out my back!" Mr. Montague shouted, trying his best to sit up.

"R-Right!" Mr. Bartlesby shouted back.

Rushing back into the kitchen, throwing open the double doors to the back, Mr. Bartlesby started to search around for the sacks he saw earlier. Nearing the back of the room, he found dozens of brown sacks stacked in the corner that laid still. Quickly approaching the sacks, Mr. Bartlesby untied one of the sacks to find nothing but potatoes within.

"Potatoes?" Mr. Bartlesby asked in disbelief.

Tossing the potato sack pack into the pile there was a sudden 'oof' that came from the rest of the sacks. Mr. Bartlesby reached for another sack, pulling the cords to untie it, revealing a captured Police Pony gagged with a potato.

"The Yard is in danger! We've been compromised!" The Police Pony shouted the moment Mr. Bartlesby removed the potato from his mouth.

"I know. My friends and I are here to save you." Mr. Bartlesby replied, untying the Police Pony.

"Could you save us a little bit fast? I've had some pony's hoof in my face for nearly three hours." A rather cranky voice called out; muffled by the bag.

With the help of the freed Police Pony, Mr. Bartlesby went to work freeing all the captured ponies in the sacks. With the more ponies that they freed, the faster the job became with every pony working together. George the Security Pony was among the captured lot, having been snuck inside by the service door that brought in the regular shipment of food for the Police Ponies early this morning. It wasn't long before the Duke and the Constable had been freed.

"Mr. Montague is in the cafeteria; he's hurt and needs assistance right away." Mr. Bartlesby informed some of the freed Police Ponies.

A couple of Police Ponies rushed off to assist Mr. Montague while Mr. Bartlesby untied another sack.

"I'm going to smell like potatoes for weeks." The Duke grumbled in annoyance climbing out the sack.

The Constable had been freed as well, looking very angry at the events that occurred under his watch.

"I can't believe I let my guard down so easily." The Constable grumbled bitterly.

"Sir, Detective Pinkamena and her assistant have been captured by the imposter ponies." Mr. Bartlesby reported to him.

"Their called Changelings, James, and their nothing compared to their Queen." The Duke informed him, stretching out his back.

"Listen up, every pony, the Yard has been riddled with imposters, these Changelings, we're going to clear this place from top to bottom and take back the Yard." The Constable instructed his freed Police Ponies.

"How are we going to do that, sir? They look just like every pony else." A Police Pony asked curiously.

"They may look like us, but they don't think like us. Approach any Police Pony, question them with any of the Rainbow Code, if they can respond to it, they're one of ours, if not, take them down." The Constable said, sounding rather fierce with his words.

"Sir, Misses Minerva and Trixie are still in danger from the imposters, I mean Changelings, and they're in the Waiting Room with two of these creatures we managed to capture." Mr. Bartlesby explained to him.

"Then we shall make safe that area first." The Constable decreed.

Mr. Bartlesby, the Duke, the Constable, and the freed Police Ponies emerged from the kitchen. Mr. Montague was being assisted by a few Police Ponies who had used parts of the broken table to make a stretcher to place him on. Every pony noticed the unconscious Bugbear lying upon the ground with a rather large soup pot on its head.

"You ponies have been busy." The Duke remarked looking impressed.

"Are you alright, Mr. Montague?" The Constable asked, approaching him.

"Fine, sir, old age is what has bested me; that Bugbear got lucky." Mr. Montague said proudly.

The doors to the cafeteria swung open. Dozens of Police Ponies had swarmed in, having heard the commotion from earlier with the cries of the Bugbear. They seemed rather surprised to see the Constable there, many having seen him leave with the prisoners earlier, and even more surprised to see the Duke who had been bumped to the top of their most wanted list.

"Listen up! There has been a hostile takeover of the Yard! Those that stand among you may not be our brethren!" The Constable shouted aloud; many of the Police Ponies looking rather confused by this. "Prepare yourselves, my Police Ponies, for the 'Yellow Duckling' has left the pond!"

Some of the Police Ponies looked confused to what that had meant, which turned out to be their biggest mistake. For the rest of the Police Ponies that knew what that particular code meant, had taken a step back, standing at attention and throwing a salute. Those imposter Police Ponies left standing looking rather sheepish by having been ousted by this simple code, smiled nervously at the rather cross looking Police Ponies they had deceived. No order was needed to be given as the Police Ponies quickly apprehended the imposters, subduing them, and slapping shackles upon them.

"The 'Yellow Duckling' has left the pond?" The Duke asked curiously, glancing at the Constable.

"It is code for when the Queen is leaving and that every pony need be standing at attention for when she walks by." The Constable explained.

* * *

Back in the Waiting Room, Misses Minerva waited anxiously for Trixie to come back. Her mind was full of worry at the moment, unsure if James was alright, if Mr. Montague was right in having her stay here, or if Trixie had been captured. The door to the Waiting Room suddenly swung open, causing Misses Minerva to shriek, which caused the out of breath Trixie to scream in terror as well.

"Why are you screaming?" Trixie asked in a shriek.

"You scared me!" Misses Minerva shouted back.

"Well you scared me!" Trixie hollered back, trying to slow her heart rate.

Misses Minerva was catching her breath; feeling a bit better now that Trixie had returned.

"Are you alright, Trixie?" Misses Minerva asked, looking her over.

"I'm alright, but I don't think I like being a fugitive." Trixie confessed, trying her hoof at a joke.

It had taken Trixie some time to make it back to the Waiting Room, from the smoke and the mysterious roars coming from both ends of the Yard, the Police Ponies were all over the place. She had several near misses from running into Police Ponies, but with a few more small smoke bombs she was able to get away.

"Do you think the others have succeeded in freeing the captured ponies?" Trixie asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure but it wasn't long after they left that those roars started to fill the halls." Misses Minerva stated, sounding rather nervous.

Sounds from the hallway had them fall silent. Struggling, shouting, thumps against the walls could be heard from the Police Ponies. The fighting grew closer, just outside the door, countless hoof steps charged by breaking off into different directions; the commotion still being heard down the halls. Trixie and Misses Minerva hid behind the sofa, hoping that whatever it was had come and gone, but the door knob clicked; the door swinging open.

A Police Pony was first to enter, followed by Mr. Montague on a makeshift stretcher, followed by the next Police Pony that carried him. Mr. Bartlesby emerged next with the Duke, and the Constable following close behind as several more Police Ponies rushed in.

"This shall be our staging ground, I will relay information from here, remember to use the Rainbow Code when delivering any and all messages." The Constable commanded to his Police Ponies.

"James!" Misses Minerva shouted overjoyed at the sight of him.

The two embraced as Trixie cautiously stepped out from behind the sofa.

"There is nothing to fear, Ms. Lulamoon. The imposter Constable called for your arrest, not I." The Constable said reassuringly.

"Is Mr. Montague going to be alright?" Misses Minerva asked hastily, sounding very concerned.

"No need to fuss, my back simply gave out. If not for Mr. Bartlesby taking the Bugbear hoof to stinger, I would surely be lunch." Mr. Montague stated.

"Where is Pinkie Pie and Rarity?" The Duke demanded; reasonably grumpier than usual.

"They've been taken by the Constable, I mean, the other Constable; the imposter one." Trixie said trying to correct herself.

"Do you know where?" The Duke asked urgently.

* * *

Queen Chrysalis's crooked horn began to glow an ominous green, levitating both Pinkie Pie and Rarity into the air, bringing them along as she walked across the moor. Her Changelings followed close behind; there didn't seem to be any pony for miles. The moor had many sloping hills, several rock walls traced across the land, there was a forest that stretched its way for miles; this was where they would be taken.

"What exactly is your plan? Is it full of holes like you?" Rarity asked, sounding rather condescending.

"You would do well to watch that pretty little mouth of yours, unless you want me to close it for you; permanently." Queen Chrysalis warned her in low hiss.

"Where are our friends?" Pinkie Pie asked, sounding rather stern with her.

"No where you need to know, but rest assured that no pony will be coming to save you." Queen Chrysalis replied with a fiendish smile.

Reaching the edge of the woods, there was no path that leads into it, but the ground beneath them seemed to have trotted upon quite frequently; flattening the foliage. The Queen and her Changelings entered the woods, Rarity and Pinkie Pie still floating beside her.

"You'd be a fool to try and open the Void. Incidentally, you'd be an even bigger fool to think that you can control it." Pinkie Pie stated.

"Do not insult my intelligence with your hollow words, pony, I know all about that pathetic Flame King using it to defeat an Elder Dragon. It will bend its power to my will with ease." Queen Chrysalis snapped back; looking rather testy.

"You don't really believe that do you? No pony can control that… that… that storm." Rarity insisted.

"A Changelings' nature is to feed on love, from what I am told this storm feeds upon light. I believe we were made for each other." Queen Chrysalis remarked with a grin.

Their march through the words brought them to a clearing where a massive dirt mound sat, stones blocks created an arch way into this hovel. The dead leaves that littered the round stirred at the Queen's presence, the darkness from within did not seem inviting to say the least. Queen Chrysalis turned her Changelings, fanning out her insect-like wings, scattering them into the woods.

"Afraid that our friends are coming for us?" Pinkie Pie asked coldly.

"You never know who might be walking in these woods. Just one more opportunity to insert another one of my Changelings into the inner workings of Trottingham." Queen Chrysalis stated, carrying Rarity and Pinkie Pie into the mound.

The large dirt mound sloped into the darkness, deeper underground it led, until a soft glow of red light appeared near the bottom. A chill had come across Pinkie and Rarity, the air was cold, the ground around them slick with mud, and the red light becoming stronger. From the mouth of the tunnel, Queen Chrysalis brought them into the hollowed out cave, where everything was filtered in red by the light of two massive Obelisks.

"Pinkie…" Rarity whispered in disbelief.

"Just like the ones in the Ashen Fields." Pinkie mumbled; her eyes fixed upon them.

The Obelisks red markings burned strong, it did not pulse like the ones in the Ashen Fields, and this one had such a sinister presence about it. With a toss of her head, Pinkie and Rarity were thrown by Queen Chrysalis's magic, falling into the muddy floor.

"Make yourselves comfortable." Queen Chrysalis said halfheartedly.

Rarity picked herself up. With mud caking her face, rubbing her faces with her arms trying to clear up the muck, while Pinkie Pie simply spit out a bad taste her mouth and glared at the Queen. The horn of Queen Chrysalis began to glow once more, an insect like cocoon emerged from the ground; it started to open with a sickly noise as an unfamiliar pony slumped out from it.

"Sir Lancaster!" Pinkie Pie shouted in surprise.

Rarity was surprised that Pinkie knew who it was, neither of them had seen him before but it was safe to say that it was him. Sir Lancaster stirred from his uncomfortable sleep, trying to wipe the slime that still clung to him, choking on the stale air that was still in his lungs.

"I've brought you your research, Lancaster, despite your attempts to hide it from me." Queen Chrysalis stated, holding his saddle bag out in front of her with magic.

"I… won't… help you." Sir Lancaster moaned, looking rather haggard.

"You no longer have a choice, darling, refuse to help me and I will be forced to take out my anger on our guests." Queen Chrysalis informed him.

Sir Lancaster lifted his head to see Pinkie Pie and Rarity shackled a few feet away. He knew not who these ponies were, but his face looked horrified that the Queen would threaten him by hurting others.

"So what shall it be, Lancaster? Will you open the portal to the Void for me, or shall I show them the same hospitality I had shown you when you first arrived?" Queen Chrysalis asked tauntingly.

It was clear that Sir Lancaster must have endured the Queen's wrath, having refused to help her open the Void, and from his defeated look he wasn't going to allow another pony to suffer on his behalf.

"It will take time…" Sir Lancaster said slowly.

"You have one hour." Queen Chrysalis stated tossing him his saddle bag. "Fail to open the Void in that time and you will be the cause of these ponies pain, Lancaster."

"Leave him alone, Chrysalis!" Rarity shouted angrily.

"I'm a very reasonable Queen, I give a pony every chance to help me willingly, and I provide options to them when they refuse. I think I'm quite generous that way." Queen Chrysalis remarked.

"So what do you plan to do once you've _claimed_ the Void all to yourself?" Pinkie Pie asked sarcastically.

"I had planned to stage a coup that would place me on Throne of Trottingham, using the Duke as my scapegoat as he seemed the least likely suspect in the disappearance of all his extended family. My plan changed when I learned of the Research Team he had put together to uncover the secrets of the Void. A power so great that not even Celestia, not even an Elder Dragon could stand against it!" Queen Chrysalis explained to them.

"The Void cannot be controlled! It cannot be allowed into Equestria, it will destroy everything!" Pinkie Pie shouted, trying to reason with her.

"You ponies will say anything to try and stop me. Why should I stop at an Empire when I can become an unstoppable force of nature? With the Void under my control I will hold the greatest power to ever grace Equestria, forcing every pony to bow before my might and not even the Elements of Harmony will be able to stand against me!" Queen Chrysalis declared; laughing manically.


	30. Chapter 30: Fireworks on the Moor

Sir Lancaster sat before the two red Obelisks, the red glow bathing the cave in an ominous hue, his research spread out before him, and Queen Chrysalis standing over him. His hooves moving quickly, searching through his research, trying to work out the remaining clues to open the portal to the Void, but it all would take time. Fear was driving him now, with Queen Chrysalis's threat to harm these two other ponies, he couldn't bear to live with the guilt, and it spurred him to work faster. Queen Chrysalis paced around him, smirking to herself at the prospect of harnessing the Void, knowing that Sir Lancaster was going to do whatever it took to open this portal for her.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie were still shackled, unable to run or even stand, watching Sir Lancaster race to figure out the means to open the portal. There was no guarantee that Trixie had gotten away, and even if she did, they didn't know how vast Queen Chrysalis's Changelings had infiltrated Trottingham. A rescue didn't seem likely and that meant it was only Rarity and Pinkie Pie to figure a way out of this. Scrambling for ideas, Rarity couldn't help but feel sorry for Sir Lancaster, having gone through such a horrific ordeal, and still being put through more.

"Sir Lancaster, I think it was a very brave and noble thing you did trying to protect your friends." Rarity said to him after a while.

"It proved fruitless in the end; the Yard is now under my control, and soon the rest of Trottingham." The Queen remarked, turning to speak with them.

"I'm sorry you were dragged into this." Sir Lancaster replied solemnly.

"We weren't dragged into this, Sir Lancaster; we volunteered to help solve the mystery of your disappearance." Pinkie Pie informed him.

Sir Lancaster stopped for a moment to look over his shoulder at them; a smile crossed his face at the idea of complete stranger ponies wanting to lend a hoof in finding him.

"I'm Rarity, by the way, and this here is Pinkie Pie. We're from Ponyville." Rarity introduced them.

"Enough with the chit chat, back to work Lancaster, or shall I give you a reason to hurry?" Queen Chrysalis asked threateningly; her horn beginning to glow.

Returning to his research, Sir Lancaster took his pencil, drawing lines across several pages, connecting words and phrases that, to his eyes, seemed to be similar. The glow of the Obelisks were much different than the ones in the Ashen Fields, the markings in particular were more square in pattern, even though the glow was red, the cave was cold; there was no sign that the Obelisk had any other power then its light show.

"Pinkie, what are we going to do?" Rarity whispered to her.

"I'm not sure Rarity, Queen Chrysalis went hoof to hoof with Princess Celestia and without the girls or the Elements of Harmony, and we're clearly outmatched." Pinkie Pie whispered back.

"We cannot allow her to succeed Pinkie, even if she manages to open the Void, there is no possible way she could control that storm we saw. It's impossible." Rarity whispered back.

Queen Chrysalis's hoof stomped down before them, towering over them with narrowed eyes and rather ugly sneer.

"Scheming, are we? Well whisper all you like because there is nothing the two of you can do to stop me. Once the portal is open, I shall harness the Void's power and use you two as an example of those that would dare to stand against me. Thus, ridding myself of not only your presence but also rendering your precious Elements of Harmony useless." Queen Chrysalis explained to them.

"If you open that portal to the Void, the storm will destroy you and all of your Changelings, Chrysalis, it will end up destroying all of Equestria." Pinkie Pie stated firmly.

"Your words fall on deaf ears, _Pinkie_ , you can try all you want but you will not fool me. I know what lies beyond that portal and I shall claim it for myself." Queen Chrysalis replied coldly; strolling away.

"I'm trying to save you." Pinkie Pie replied solemnly.

Queen Chrysalis could hear the sincerity in her words; it was enough to have her look back at Pinkie Pie. Her face scowled at the thought her, whipping her head away and continuing to pace around the cave.

"I'm done mixing words with you." Queen Chrysalis remarked angrily. "Lancaster! Your time is running out!"

Queen Chrysalis stepped past Sir Lancaster, making it a point to step rather cruel upon his saddle bag; as if to intimidate him. She headed towards the other end of the cave, her magic forming a seat from the rocks beneath earth. Pinkie Pie noticed Sir Lancaster look up from his research to see Queen Chrysalis momentarily distracted, quickly turning a piece of parchment upside down bearing a symbol she could not quite see, before incorporating it into the rest of his research.

"Rarity…" Pinkie Pie whispered to her.

"What?" Rarity whispered back leaning in.

"I think Sir Lancaster has just given us a fighting chance." Pinkie Pie whispered.

"What do you mean, Pinkie?" Rarity whispered curiously.

"Elementary, my dear Rarity." Pinkie Pie said pulling the bubble pipe out from beneath her dear stalker cap.

* * *

Dozens of Changelings had been ousted through the use of their Rainbow Code, unable to fool or mimic their way past it. A grand total of twenty-four Changelings had been put behind bars, the missing Police Ponies not accounted for being found in rather odd places, the strangest being the Police Ponies annual picnic's piñata, but every pony was eventually accounted for; except for the missing detective and her assistant.

"Constable, we've just finished clearing the third floor. The last two Changelings have been detained and currently being taken to lock up." A Police Pony stepped into the Waiting Room to inform him.

"I want every Police Pony accounted for in the next hour, on and off duty; we're not letting these Changelings get the better of us again." The Constable ordered.

"Right away, sir." The Police Pony replied, throwing him a salute.

"We don't have an hour; Constable, Pinkie and Rarity are missing. The longer we wait the harder it will be to find them." The Duke said disagreeing with his order.

"I cannot coordinate any effort to help the detective with my Police Force with even the slightest possibility that one of these Changelings are still among us. I'm sorry, Duke, but the safety of Trottingham comes first." The Constable retorted; sounding rather final on the subject.

"You can't just leave Pinkie and Rarity out there alone!" Trixie refuted.

"Don't take it personally, Ms. Lulamoon, the Constable took an oath, swearing to place the Royal Family, and the Ponies of Trottingham before everything else. Unfortunately, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are just visitors, and until he can assure that Trottingham is safe from foreign and domestic threats; he cannot help them." The Duke explained to her.

"We cannot just sit here and do nothing." Misses Minerva insisted.

"Exactly; this is why we're going to take matters into our own hooves." The Duke stated pulling them away from the Constable so that he would not over hear them.

"H-How are we going to that?" Trixie asked, sounding a bit surprised by the Duke's willingness to do things on their own.

"Our first step is figuring out where to begin looking for them, it likely that these Changelings have taken Pinkie and Rarity to their Queen, which means it will secluded and well-fortified." The Duke stated to them.

"There are countless places like that in Trottingham, though." Mr. Bartlesby remarked, not knowing where to start.

"Just before Pinkie and Rarity were seized by the imposter Constable, Pinkie Pie mentioned heading to the moor." Trixie mentioned, thinking back on it.

"The moor?" The Duke questioned.

"It was one of the locations in which I had transcribed from an old pony text for Sir Lancaster. It was our weakest lead at the time, but he searched it nonetheless." Mr. Bartlesby spoke up.

"It was also the place he had asked me to be when he gave me his saddle bag for safe keeping the night he went missing." Trixie added.

"The moor is vast; it will be difficult to search the whole area for them." Misses Minerva stated.

"Alright, the moor seems to be a best bet in finding them. It's not that far of a cart ride away, but without the Police Ponies assisting us we'll need a plan for when we get there." The Duke explained.

There was a groan from the couch, Mr. Montague attempting to raise himself, but his back wasn't cooperating with him.

"You need to relax, Mr. Montague." Misses Minerva insisted.

"Sir, if I may, having seen what these creatures are capable of, the last thing these Changelings would suspect would be for us to try and deceive them." Mr. Montague informed him.

"Are you proposing we disguise ourselves as one of them?" The Duke asked in surprise.

"Perhaps you've hit your head as well during that battle with the Bugbear, Mr. Montague?" Mr. Bartlesby asked trying to having him lay back down.

"If we had the time, I would have entertained the idea, Mr. Montague, but we have no means to prepare any sort of disguise to pull this off." The Duke mentioned.

"Yes! Yes we do!" Trixie hissed excitedly pulling the on the Duke's arm.

"What? What do you mean?" The Duke asked looking confused.

"The Trottingham Theatre! We can go there and be set up with costumes in no time! The makeup artists there work the best under pressure, having to dress and redress ponies between scenes!" Trixie explained quickly.

"But what are we supposed to do when we get there? We can't just sneak our way in and just expect them to let us walk out with the detective and her assistant." Mr. Bartlesby asked, not liking the idea of walking into a trap.

"We'll need to distract the Changelings somehow, draw them out from wherever they are hiding, and with the costumes we can slip past them." The Duke brainstormed.

"Distract them? How? Shall we put on a play right in the middle of the moor hoping that their fans of 'Call of the Pony' and come running out to see it?" Mr. Bartlesby asked sarcastically.

"I have my Traveling Magicians' Wagon parked behind the Trottingham Theatre; I have several fireworks and a portable stage that might just do the trick." Trixie offered, feeling the plan was coming together.

"It might just get all of you into a world of trouble." The Constable spoke up.

The Constable, having eavesdropped on their conversation, stepped towards them not looking rather happy with the idea of letting them do something so half-baked and risky.

"We've got friends that are in trouble, Constable. Like it or not we're going to go help them." The Duke stated, obviously not caring what the Constable had to say about it.

"With all due respect, sir, having you potentially captured for a second time doesn't sound like a plan to me. It is too dangerous to have a couple of Research Ponies, a Magician, and an old donkey going off trying to be heroes." The Constable remarked. "I don't want to have to place you all in protective custody but if you think I'm letting you face off against this Queen Changeling, then you're sadly mistaken."

The Duke seemed torn. The Constable had a valid point; his Royalty status did make him a liability, a bargaining chip if caught once more. Even Misses Minerva and Mr. Bartlesby seemed rather unsure of themselves if being forced to fight these creatures.

"Well…" Trixie began, sounding rather unsure of her own volition. "Seeing as I am _not_ a pony of Trottingham, I shall take my leave and rescue Pinkie Pie and Rarity on my own."

Trixie headed towards the door, she seemed rather unnerved to have decided to go about doing this alone, but she wasn't going to sit idly by while they were in danger.

"Ms. Lulamoon, I ask that you reconsider this." The Constable implored her.

"There is no need to reconsider, I'm trying to do the right thing and help two ponies in need; just like they did for me. I may end up being captured, but… I will do so knowing that I did everything within my power to save them." Trixie stated, sounding determined.

"A fine speech, Ms. Lulamoon. A fine speech, indeed." Mr. Montague stated trying to sit up. "Constable, if I could offer an alternative?"

"An alternative?" The Constable asked looking rather curious.

"If you would be willing to send a message to Sir Arthur Tullius for me, I would be able to say that I am certain that Trixie and every pony else will be quite safe." Mr. Montague requested.

"Thee Arthur Tullius?" The Constable asked in surprise.

"Who's Arthur Tullius?" Mr. Bartlesby asked curiously.

" _Sir_ Arthur Tullius is the current leader of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, a decorated soldier, and having been knighted for his service during the Chimera Blitz." The Duke replied, filling the in gaps.

Every pony looked rather surprised by Mr. Montague's statement, wondering what sort of message ensured such a thing.

"What is the message you wish to send, Mr. Montague?" The Constable asked, sounding rather bewildered.

"Tell him that 'A soldier requires a drink', and let him know that it shall be 'poured' at the moor." Mr. Montague requested.

* * *

Trixie's Magician Wagon rumbled down the cobblestone streets of Trottingham, minutes away from turning off onto the dirt path leading towards the moor. Trixie, along with the Duke himself, were strapped in pulling the wagon. It took quite a lot of convincing on Mr. Montague's part to have the Constable allow Trixie and the others to go through with this plan. Stating that the message he sent out would provide them back up, and that they need only be at the moor within the hour. Mr. Montague wished them luck, having to stay at the Yard with his hurt back, but reassuring him that his promise of back up would be there for them. With the papier-mâché masks, mane, thorax, and tail of the Changelings, black paint, some teal mesh for wings, and some reflective stickers to allude to holes on their legs, they had enough for two disguises, but it would be enough for the next step of the plan.

"I don't see why _we_ don't get costumes." Mr. Bartlesby hissed from the window the cart.

"You're the distraction genius, isn't that obvious?" The Duke grunted back, tugging the wagon along.

"Distraction? What the hay are we supposed to do?" Mr. Bartlesby asked in surprise.

"James! Keep your voice down, we're supposed to be keeping a low profile!" Misses Minerva hissed from inside the cart.

Grumbling in his disapproval of becoming the 'bait' of this plan, Trixie and the Duke pulled the cart out onto the edge of the moor; having to climb over a small hill to achieve this. Upon reaching the top of the hill, Trixie and the Duke discovered an abandoned Police Cart at the bottom of the hill, and several tracks leading away from it.

"This is where they must have been taken." Trixie stated, looking around for any sign of them.

"Let's follow the trail while it's still fresh, and see where it takes us." The Duke stated, quickening his pace.

Following the trail of hooves that crossed the moor, it was clear that the tracks led towards the woods, which had the Duke and Trixie stopping the wagon several yards out from it. Unlatching themselves from the wagon, they circled to the back of it, pulling open the doors to reveal Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva waiting inside.

"Are we here?" Misses Minerva asked curiously.

"Yeah, we're here, and it's time to get this plan into motion." The Duke stated, climbing inside.

Together, Trixie and the Duke were painted by both Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva from head to hoof in black pain. It was washable paint, but it would be enough to do the job. Misses Minerva applied the reflective stickers upon their hooves while Mr. Bartlesby attached the mesh wings, and the papier-mâché tail, mane, and head to them. The teal eyes of the changelings were nothing more than plastic lenses the makeup department was able to throw together but it seemed rather convincing.

"There. You're giant bugs now." Misses Minerva stated looking pleased at the finished product.

"So what's next?" Mr. Bartlesby asked tossing a paint brush back into the paint can.

"This is where you two come in." The Duke replied.

Trixie pulled a wood lever within the wagon; there was a loud clunk, the wall of the wagon falling outward; creating an impromptu stage. Stepping outside, Trixie placed some wooden supports beneath the stage to keep it stable.

"Wh-Wh-What are we supposed to do?" Mr. Bartlesby asked nervously.

"Changelings feed on love; they are starved for it, famished, hungry, and above all else unable to resist it. You two are going to do whatever it takes to draw them out, giving us a chance to slip in." The Duke informed them.

"What are you implying?" Misses Minerva asked; her face rather red.

"I don't know; do whatever it is young colts and mares do when they're in love. Just make sure it attracts the Changelings." The Duke replied stepping off the wagon.

"B-B-B-B-But-" Mr. Bartlesby stammered, flushing rather red himself.

"I have the fireworks all rigged up, all you need to do is set them off to draw attention to yourselves and from their it will be up to you two to distract them." Trixie informed them climbing back into the wagon.

"I'm not sure if… if… if we can do this." Mr. Bartlesby mumbled, looking rather embarrassed and nervous.

"This is the only plan we have, and our only chance to save Pinkie Pie and Rarity from the Changelings. Do it for them." Trixie said pleadingly.

Misses Minerva took Mr. Bartlesby's hoof, resting her head on his shoulder. As flustered as he was by her gesture, he seemed to have a bit more courage having her by his side.

"We'll… we'll set off the fireworks once you're in the woods." Mr. Bartlesby stated.

"Good luck." Trixie said to them, before stepping off the wagon.

Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva sat hoof in hoof, watching the Duke and Trixie, in their Changeling costumes cross the moor to the woods. After a couple of minutes, they disappeared into the trees, leaving just the two of them alone in the wagon.

"I guess we should… um… start the fireworks." Mr. Bartlesby mentioned, clearing his throat.

With a nod from Misses Minerva, Mr. Bartlesby flipped the wooden lever. There was a noticeable hiss that filled the air, a several small booms, followed by sharp whistles were heard over head. The fireworks skyrocketing and exploding high into the air, it would seem that Trixie had rigged it to use her grand finale fireworks just to make sure that it was heard by every Changeling in the woods.

"So… what do we do now?" Mr. Bartlesby asked, flushing at the thought.

"Do you remember how we first met?" Rachel asked him.

"It was at the 'New Applications of Dragon Fang' convention last spring." James replied, thinking back on it.

"And do you remember what you said to me?" Rachel asked curiously.

"I… I… uh…" James mumbled, flushing at the memory of it.

"You said, 'The only thing sharper than a dragon fang was my outfit.'" Rachel told him.

"I-I-I-I admit it wasn't my best pick up line." James mumbled, looking rather embarrassed.

"But it made me laugh." Rachel said kissing him on the cheek. "And you've always been there for me when I needed you. This is why you'll make a wonderful father."

"Have you thought of any names yet?" James asked curiously, leaning his head against hers.

"I always liked Melissa, but I was thinking that if it's a colt. We can name him after your father." Rachel replied.

"Really? After him?" James asked curiously.

"Your father is a rather stubborn colt, but he loves you dearly and I know he will want the best for his grand filly or foal. I think it will be a nice surprise from him to know that I care just as much about you, to give our baby his name, and the reputation that comes with it." Rachel explained to him.

"I was kind of hoping to name him Stormageddon." James confessed.

Rachel pulled away from him, giving him a rather strange look.

"It was my Dungeons and Dragons character from when I was a foal. I thought it was cool." James explained, looking rather sheepish.

Rachel laughed at him. Kissing him on the cheek once more, feeling him pull her in close for a hug.

* * *

The promise of their Queen obtaining a power far beyond their comprehension, along with the promise of limitless love to feed off of, had curved much of the appetite of the Changelings in the woods. Although, hunger has a funny way of making even the most loyal of followers to second guess their options. With the sudden fireworks firing off from Trixie's wagon, the Changelings roaming around the woods all took notice of this odd sound, considering that it was normally rather peaceful on the moor, and this sudden array of explosions had them wondering what was going on.

Being rather cautious, the Changelings stuck to the shadows of the trees, moving through any available bush or weeds to better conceal themselves to figure out what was going on and morph accordingly. It wasn't until they got closer to the source of the noise, did their hunger start to take over, and the sweet smell of love captivated them; causing them to sprint towards the origin of it.

Trixie and the Duke had been walking through the woods for a brief time. Having discovered a trampled path to follow, most likely left behind by the Changelings from before. Although, the Duke was finding it rather difficult to see through the papier-mâché mask, how loose fitting it was, as the mask slid from side to side.

"Dag nab it, I can't see a thing with this ridiculous mask on!" The Duke swore trying to adjust it.

"Duke! You're going to give us away!" Trixie hissed at him, trying to swat at his hooves to get him to stop fiddling with it.

"How am I supposed to pretend to be like one of these things if my head is facing the wrong way?" The Duke asked sounding annoyed.

The Duke finished adjusting his mask, bumping right into a Changeling that had been sprinting through the woods, having been distracted by the sweet aroma of love coming from the moor. There were several more Changelings racing by, some flying through the air, all heading back the way they had entered. The Changeling the Duke had run into had lost interest in the love from the sharp pain in his from the collision; looking rather strangely at them.

"What's wrong with your face?" The Changeling asked in growl.

"What did you say to me, bub?" The Duke asked threateningly, forgetting that the face the Changeling was referring to was the mask.

"You look… bloated." The Changeling said grimacing at him.

"We tried… uh… eating some of the… berries! Yeah, berries! The berries in the woods and… uh… we're having a reaction." Trixie fibbed.

"What color were they?" The Changeling asked curiously.

"They were… uh… orange?" Trixie offered, unsure.

"Well thanks for letting me know, I'll pass it along to the others so they don't end up look like you sorry fat heads." The Changeling replied, beginning to walk off.

Before the Duke was able to fire off a comeback, Trixie had started pulling him away, trying to leave as quickly as possible.

"Wait a second." The Changeling stated, stopping short and turning back to them.

Trixie and the Duke froze on the spot, trying not to seem guilty as they turned back around.

"Aren't you two coming to eat some of this love we all smell?" The Changeling asked suspiciously.

"We would… but… uh…" Trixie mumbled trying to think of something to say.

"We have horrible hyperacidity from the berries, with random bouts of vertigo, culminating in aggressive migraines and excessive sneezing. We'd rather go lay down for a while if that's fine with you... chubby." The Duke replied, tacking on an insult at the end.

"Suit yourself." The Changeling retorted, walking off towards the moor.

"Hyperacidity and what?" Trixie whispered to him, sounding rather impressed; starting back off into the woods again.

"Never get old, Ms. Lulamoon. It sucks." The Duke replied bitterly.

* * *

James Bartlesby and Rachel Minerva sat on the stage, speaking amongst themselves of their future together. It being rather lovey dovey for the most part, but it had attracted the Changelings well enough to have come stepping out of the woods sniffing the air. Their eyes fell upon the wagon that the love had been originating from; being so close now to their meal had made them rather feral in their lust for lunch. Screeching into the air, the Changelings charged towards them, ready to make a meal of the now rather frightened Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva.

"Should we run for it?" Misses Minerva asked hiding behind him.

Mr. Bartlesby had no honest idea if they would even get far if they did run for it. Wondering they could possibly close up the wagon and hide within it until help would arrive. That was when the sudden sound of a horn filled the air.

Upon the hilltop to the west of the moor, coming from Trottingham marched a legion of ponies dressed in their military fatigues across the hilltop. This brought the Changelings to a complete halt at the sight of this sudden amassment of soldier ponies.

"Ponies of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers!" A pony by the name of Arthur Tullius stood at the side of this legion with a horn tucked under his arm.

There was a collective grunt from every Fusilier, taking a combative stance ready to charge the horde of Changelings that stood out in the open of the moor.

"One of our own, Siegward Montague, veteran of the Chimeras Rampage of the High Basin Peak, has been roughed up by these inferior rapscallions while uncovering a hostile takeover of Trottingham Yard and possibly this Monarchy!" Arthur Tullius announced aloud.

The stomping that proceeded from the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers shook the moor, their unison shouts of displeasure sent chills down every Changelings spine.

"Let us show these insects why we're the first and last word in the definition of 'soldier'. For Queen and country, mates!" Arthur Tullius declared; signaling the charge.

Looking very much like a stampede, the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers raced down the hillside, roaring their battle cries. The Changelings looked rather surprised by this sudden turn of events, but knew that their Queen would not be pleased with retreat. Meeting them headlong on the battlefield, the Changeling charged, morphing into different creatures ranging from spiders, to Owl bears, ready to meet the Fusiliers in battle.

It was like a tidal wave of battle hardened soldier ponies that had washed over the Changelings, even with their ability to change into other creatures, the Changelings were being by the Fusiliers. Having no equal in their ability to take down any sort of creature, the Fusilier's was, if not, the single most versatile branch of soldier ponies to be found anywhere.

Mr. Bartlesby kept Misses Minerva behind him, remaining within the wagon, watching the one sided battle take place before them. Arthur Tullius galloped across the open moor to the wagon, leaping upon the stage with ease; he looked nearly as old as Mr. Montague. He had a sort of brownish, yet golden mane, his hide a mahogany, his cutie mark bore the sign of a family crest, no doubt from his family.

"Are you two alright?" Arthur Tullius asked urgently.

"Y-Y-Yes, sir." Mr. Bartlesby replied.

"Arthur Tullius, leader of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, at your service." Arthur introduced himself.

"James Bartlesby." Mr. Bartlesby replied in amazement. "This is my fiancée, Rachel Minerva."

"A pleasure to meet you, I presume that you are friends that Mr. Montague had mentioned?" Arthur asked curiously.

"We are." Misses Minerva replied.

"Mr. Montague and I once shared a fox hole for nearly ten days with only five day rations between us during the Chimera Blitz. Good times they were, never thought he'd call in a favor like this, but we protect our own; serving or retired." Arthur stated; seeming to talk at them rather than to them.

"We appreciate it, sir. Our friends, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, are being held captive in the woods somewhere. Ms. Lulamoon and Duke Wellington are currently trying to sneak their way in to save them from the Queen of Changelings." Mr. Bartlesby informed him.

"The Duke you say? Even in retirement, that old donkey still finds a way to be right in the middle of trouble. Right then!" Arthur stated stepping out onto the stage; blowing hard into the horn once more.

"All right, colts! Let's finish up here and rescue the Duke of Trottingham and a couple of damsels from the clutches of an evil Queen that these sorry excuse for soldiers answer to!" Arthur declared before blowing into his horn; the air vibrating from the sound.

There was a collective grunt from all the Fusiliers, their punches became harder, their kicks more solid, trying to put an end to the battle as quickly as possible.


	31. Chapter 31: The Great and Powerful

Sir Lancaster was drawing a continuous line across several pieces of parchment, as if tracing a reoccurring theme across the lot of them. Glancing up, Sir Lancaster could see Queen Chrysalis resting upon the stone chair she had constructed; glaring at him with anticipation.

"Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…" Queen Chrysalis taunted him; imitating the sound of a clock.

This shook Sir Lancaster something awful, it felt like lead weight in his stomach, knowing that the Queen would make good on her promise of harming the others if he failed to deliver. Drawing his eyes from her, Sir Lancaster's hoof shook with anxiety trying his best to finish.

"Have you come up with a plan, Pinkie?" Rarity whispered to her; knowing that their hour was nearly up.

"We must wait for the precise moment, Rarity, Sir Lancaster has already offered us the window of opportunity; we merely need to take advantage of it." Pinkie whispered back; seeming rather confident about it.

"What do you mean? What has Sir Lancaster done?" Rarity asked in a hushed voice.

"He's changed something, a small detail, I'm not sure what, but it will most likely be our only chance to get out of here." Pinkie Pie hissed in anticipation as the hour grew nearer.

* * *

Trixie and the Duke stepped into a clearing of the woods. A large mound of earth, decorated with a stone archway, presented to them with a tunnel in which they could enter. There was no sign of any Changelings lurking about, leaving them to walk right in, but Trixie was rather nervous to go in. Trixie watched the Duke, in his unfitted mask, already making his way towards the entrance. Upon reaching the threshold of the arch, the Duke turned back to see Trixie still standing a few feet away.

"You coming?" The Duke asked curiously.

"I… I… I'm not one for these sort of… heroic things. I'm just a magician. I preform simple tricks; I've never had to save any pony from an evil Queen." Trixie confessed, sounding rather scared.

"Being heroic has nothing to do with being ready; it's about being able to do what's right when a choice is laid before you. That's what makes you brave, that's what makes you a hero, being able to do what's right in the face of something that is wrong." The Duke said to her.

Trixie was still very much afraid, although the Duke's words did impact her. It was similar to what she had said earlier, but more profound, as if he had told this sort of thing to many ponies over the years. Nodding her head, Trixie approached the archway, walking with the Duke down into the tunnel.

* * *

"Your hour is up, Sir Lancaster, have you figured out how to open the portal to the Void?" Queen Chrysalis asked curiously; rising from her chair.

Gathering up his research, Sir Lancaster got to his hooves, approaching her slowly; looking very nervous.

"I-I-I… have." Sir Lancaster stuttered, sounding very frightened.

"Funny." Queen Chrysalis said sarcastically; pretending to look surprised while looking about the cave. "I don't see a portal anywhere, do you?"

"Y-y-you see, the portal needs a-a-a-a catalyst, something that powers it to have it work." Sir Lancaster began to explain fumbling with his research.

"It sounds like an excuse, Lancaster." Queen Chrysalis replied coldly; her horn glowing menacingly.

"It's the truth, Chrysalis! The Obelisks in the Ashen Fields needed the flames of the King to open the portal!" Rarity shouted; worried for Sir Lancaster's safety.

Queen Chrysalis's mood soured more, it did seem plausible to her, the two red Obelisks themselves had done nothing on their own; meaning that there was something needed for this to work.

"Have you figured out this 'catalyst' that is required to open the portal?" Queen Chrysalis hissed in displeasure.

"The-the-the portal requires sunlight to activate." Sir Lancaster stammered laying out his research in front of her.

"Do you take me for a fool, Lancaster?" Queen Chrysalis asked angrily stepping upon his research; watching him back away from her. "You believe I would be foolish enough to expose these eye soars to all of Equestria? The immense glow of these Obelisks would draw every eye from Trottingham!"

"B-B-B-But that is the reason they buried it! In a dark secluded place! To ensure that no sunlight would ever reach it!" Sir Lancaster shouted back, cowering before her.

Queen Chrysalis lifted her hoof off one of the pieces of parchment, her magic lifting it to her face, the rest of Sir Lancaster's research soon floated up as well. Glancing over his findings, the patterns in which spoke of dates, times, positions of the sun, and even an old symbol that depicted the celestial calendar of the sun and moon.

"The sun will be setting soon…" Queen Chrysalis remarked sounding annoyed.

"The Flame Pony King is, in essence, a power source, quite possibly the Obelisks in the fields were modeled after these. Replacing the sun, for a Flame Pony's fire." Sir Lancaster offered her.

"Pinkie Pie, I fail to see how Sir Lancaster has provided us with any sort of window of opportunity." Rarity hissed to her; starting to become very worried.

Pinkie Pie didn't respond. She was watching Queen Chrysalis intensely, trying to figure out what exactly Sir Lancaster had changed in his research. With Queen Chrysalis haphazardly tossing sheets of parchment away with her magic, after she was done reviewing it, Pinkie Pie noticed the parchment containing the symbol that Sir Lancaster had inverted. It was the celestial calendar. Pinkie Pie smiled wide.

"Rarity, get ready, we're busting out here." Pinkie Pie whispered to her.

"How? We're still shackled, Pinkie. Mine are even magic-proofed." Rarity whispered back, shaking her hooves to rattle the chains.

"Yours are, but mine aren't." Pinkie Pie whispered with a smile.

Queen Chrysalis tossed the remaining pages over her head; she looked rather annoyed by the amount of numbers and old pony text that Sir Lancaster had provided.

"You better be right, Lancaster, or I shall be paying a visit to your darling wife." Queen Chrysalis remarked threateningly.

Looking up towards Pinkie Pie and Rarity, Queen Chrysalis noticed two oddly shaped Changelings appearing at the mouth of the cave.

"What is it?" Queen Chrysalis asked aloud.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity turned to look behind them. Rarity gasped in horror at the incredibly low budget disguise, while Pinkie Pie used every ounce of will power to explode into a fit of laughter at the sight of them. The Duke and Trixie stood at the mouth of the cave, bathed in the red light of the Obelisks, stunned by the otherworldly nature of them.

"Speak!" Queen Chrysalis demanded.

"W-W-W-W-We…" Trixie began to stammer.

"There is a battalion of soldier ponies on the moor! They know we're here!" The Duke shouted, attempting to disguise his voice with a very poor imitation of the Changeling they met earlier.

"What's wrong with your voice? Are you sick or something?" Queen Chrysalis asked, looking rather confused.

"Puberty?" The Duke questioned his own logic.

"Are you asking or telling- you know what, never mind." Queen Chrysalis cut herself short; shaking her head of the thought.

"We… we… should escape while we can!" Trixie shouted, trying her best not to sound afraid.

"Escape? In my moment of triumph? I dare say that- wait… why are your heads so swollen?" Queen Chrysalis asked in surprise; having finally taken notice.

"We're… uh… we…" Trixie mumbled trying to remember their excuse.

"We're retaining water." The Duke replied beginning to sound annoyed with all the questions.

"You're what?" Queen Chrysalis asked looking surprised stepping towards them.

Queen Chrysalis was just stepping past Sir Lancaster, nearing the center of the space between the two Obelisks.

"Trixie now!" The Duke shouted suddenly.

The papier-mâché mask Trixie wore flew from her face, her horn brimming with magic, as her mask tumbled through the air. Dozens of smoke bombs appeared trailing from the mask, snaking its way across the cave, before touching the ground and exploding into huge thick clouds of smoke.

"What is the meaning of this?" Queen Chrysalis shouted angrily backing away from the smoke.

"Now's our chance, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie shouted holding out her shackles.

With a sudden blast of magic from Rarity's horn, Pinkie Pie's shackles fell undone from her hooves. With Queen Chrysalis blinded from the smoke, Pinkie Pie raced into the clouds towards where she last saw Sir Lancaster. Queen Chrysalis did her best to clear the smoke with her wings, but the clouds were heavy with powder; making it difficult. Pinkie Pie found Sir Lancaster attempting to crawl away within the cover of smoke; Pinkie Pie helped him to his hooves, and helped him towards the exit.

Trixie and the Duke quickly rushed to Rarity's side, looking at the magic-proof shackles that bound her. If not for the shackles, Rarity would have hugged the pair of them, but they had only moments before Queen Chrysalis would realize their deception.

"I don't have keys for this." The Duke mumbled bitterly tugging on the shackles.

"I do." Trixie said quickly, putting her hoof to her mouth.

Trixie withdrew a key to both Rarity's and the Duke's surprise. With a click, Rarity's shackles fell undone.

"Why did you have a key-" Rarity asked sounding astonished.

"Magician's code number three: always have a spare key." Trixie cut her off, helping Rarity to her hooves.

Pinkie Pie reappeared from the smoke, assisting the tired Sir Lancaster towards the tunnel.

"Let's go every pony!" The Duke shouted to them.

The Duke, Trixie, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Sir Lancaster galloped towards the tunnel. Queen Chrysalis's evil laugh echoed throughout the cave, the smoke was beginning to settle, but it made no difference; Queen Chrysalis magically appeared at the entrance of the tunnel looking rather amused.

"Cheap parlor tricks? That was your plan?" Queen Chrysalis asked looking rather insulted.

With a swipe of her wing Queen Chrysalis struck the Duke to the wayside, knocking him off his hooves and relieving him of his mask. Pinkie Pie tried to put herself between Sir Lancaster and Queen Chrysalis, but her magic conjured century old roots to spring from the ground to bind them from moving.

"What have we hear? The little mare that Sir Lancaster entrusted with his research. You've been a difficult pony to get a hold of." Queen Chrysalis stated menacingly.

"Not another step you, cretin!" Rarity declared, firing a blast of magic at Queen Chrysalis.

With a nimble dodge, Queen Chrysalis avoided the attack watching Rarity's spell strike the side of the cave wall. Queen Chrysalis's horn gleamed with a green aura; the ground beneath Rarity swallowed her up to her neck before returning to a solid state.

"This… this is… quite uncomfortable." Rarity mentioned, only able to move her head.

"I'll say." Pinkie Pie muttered, attempting to chew through the roots.

Trixie backed away from Queen Chrysalis, frightened by the leaps and bounds their aptitude of magic were, unable to think of single possible thing that would work in her favor. Queen Chrysalis found Trixie's fear amusing, feeling that she could toy with her for a while.

"Sweet saddle soars! I'm old damn it!" The Duke's voice rang throughout the cave.

Both Queen Chrysalis and Trixie turned to the direction of the Duke. It was clear that his left hind leg was sprained, seeing as he could not lift himself from the ground.

"My, my, my, Duke Wellington of Trottingham, I am surprised to see your old and wrinkled face here. Aren't you a bit out of your depth to be playing the hero?" Queen Chrysalis jived at him.

"Aren't you a bit ugly to be considered a Queen? Perhaps a witch or a slug would better suit you." The Duke snapped back.

"Insolence!" Queen Chrysalis cried angrily.

A blast of magic erupted from Queen Chrysalis's horn, striking the Duke on his side, and knocking him back down. A noticeable stream of smoke seared off the side the Duke, having burned his hide with her magic.

"Leave him alone!" Pinkie Pie shouted angrily; struggling against the roots.

"Shut your mouth you insufferable pink pony! Once I acquire the Void's power I will be sure to consume you first!" Queen Chrysalis shouted in Pinkie Pie's face.

"Is that… what this is all about?" The Duke asked with a groan, rolling back over. "You think you can just… waltz right in and… take a _power_ like that? And here I thought the Mad King was crazy."

"You know nothing of what I am capable of! The Flame Pony King wasn't strong enough to claim the power of the Void for himself, but I won't be so weak! I shall acquire the Void's power, toppling every Kingdom that stands before me, and every pony shall love me or face despair!" Queen Chrysalis declared; striking her hooves hard against the ground.

"I… I met that Flame Pony a while back. Just a kid. Looked like the dragon's dinner when he walked in; daddy issues. Timid, nervous, but wasn't too crazy about being named King; having just lost his entire family I couldn't blame him. I talked at him rather than to him, because I didn't know what sort of pony he was." The Duke responded; leading into a story.

"What are you rambling about?" Queen Chrysalis asked, looking confused by his story.

"When I met him again, he was close to losing what little he had left of a family; some vengeful Orc making a mess of things. I talked down to him for not acting like a King, but I was too much of a pompous mule to see that he wasn't trying to be; he was just trying to be himself." The Duke continued sounding rather bitter with himself.

"Does this story have a point?" Queen Chrysalis asked sarcastically.

"That kid knows that a pony isn't measured by his or her strength or by some dumb title. It's measured by how far a pony will go to help some pony else. That's why these ponies are here trying to save a complete stranger, that's why Smolder entered that Void, and why I… I want to bring him home. It's a thing called _love_ you heartless witch, and it's why you'll never succeed in anything. " The Duke said firmly.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie were nearly moved to tears by the Duke's words. None more so than Trixie who had been on both sides of this, having been helped and how she could still be of help to every pony. She could see that even an old stubborn donkey cared enough to go through all this in the hopes of saving another pony.

"I've always known donkeys to drone on and on but you take the cake you old mule. You should really consider _early retirement_!" Queen Chrysalis hissed threateningly.

Queen Chrysalis's horn began to glow a neon green, the Duke closed his eyes, feeling content with what was about to happen. A sudden rope of tide handkerchiefs whipped around Queen Chrysalis's horn, before violently pulling her head to the side. Queen Chrysalis's magic fired off balance, striking the cave wall several feet away from the Duke; the handkerchief rope burning away.

Turning around quickly, Queen Chrysalis saw Trixie's horn glowing a light blue, the color of her magic mixing with red light of the Obelisks changing the room to a purple.

" _You_ challenge _me_? You have to be joking." Queen Chrysalis scoffed at her.

Trixie did not respond, conjuring three very large cups overhead. One of the cups concealed her, while the other fell beside her. A sudden explosion of smoke surrounded the cups as they danced around each other, quickly trying to confuse Queen Chrysalis to which she was under.

"Hardly amusing." Queen Chrysalis remarked.

The magic from her horn blasted the cup furthest right, turning to ash, revealing nothing underneath. Infuriated by her incorrect guess, Queen Chrysalis quickly swiped her horn across the remaining two cups at once to reveal the hidden Trixie.

"What?" Queen Chrysalis asked in disbelief.

None of the cups contained Trixie, having all been empty. Turning around quickly, Queen Chrysalis could see Trixie having just freed Sir Lancaster and Pinkie Pie of their rooted binds.

"I don't think so!" Queen Chrysalis shouted in anger.

Trixie's horn exploded with magic once more. A panel appeared beneath Queen Chrysalis's hooves, folding itself into a large boxed that trapped her with. The box began to spin on the spot, faster and faster it spun, throwing Queen Chrysalis against the side; making her rather dizzy. With her anger mounting, Queen Chrysalis's magic ignited the box causing it to shatter around her.

Watching the cave spin around her, trying to remain on her hooves, Queen Chrysalis could see the distorted and twisting vision of the ponies digging Rarity out of the ground. Shaking her head, attempting to right herself, Queen Chrysalis slammed her hoof upon the ground angrily as her magic flashed upon her horn.

"I've had enough of these tricks!" Queen Chrysalis cried.

With Trixie helping the Duke to his hooves, Pinkie Pie and Sir Lancaster just having finished freeing Rarity from the ground; Queen Chrysalis focused her rage upon the pony that had made a fool of her. Queen Chrysalis's horn swelled with magic, the spell firing in their direction, the magic impacted, but the sound of shattering glass filled the air.

What she had believed to be Trixie and the Duke was nothing more than a well-placed mirror pane, reflecting every pony's image to her. Having only now realized that box had spun her facing the opposite way, seeing their reflections with the mirror, having believed it to be them. Looking over her shoulder, Queen Chrysalis saw the silver tail of Trixie racing up the tunnel, every pony already gone, and having been made a fool of.

"Trixie! That has to be the single greatest trick I have ever seen in my entire life!" Pinkie Pie shouted, assisting the Duke up through the tunnel.

"It truly was unbelievable, darling! You were absolutely amazing!" Rarity complimented, also assisting the Duke.

"It… it was nothing, really." Trixie replied humbly, as too much of her adrenaline was pumping to really enjoy their compliments.

"Thank you… for coming after me, Trixie." Sir Lancaster mumbled, being helped by her.

Trixie could see how tired he was, the toll Queen Chrysalis must have taken on him, but she knew that the best thing for him was to get him as far away from this place as possible. Reaching the entrance of the tunnel, they galloped out into the clearing, reaching the tree line before finding themselves face to face with some familiar faces.

"Sir Lancaster!" Misses Minerva shouted in disbelief.

Misses Minerva and Mr. Bartlesby stood alongside an unfamiliar pony, Arthur Tullius, who had the entirety of the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers at his back having just arrived. Misses Minerva rushed over to Sir Lancaster's side, with Mr. Bartlesby close behind her; they took her from Trixie, assisting him towards a Soldier Pony medic that quickly rushed to their side.

"Good to see that you are in one piece, your Royal Highness." Arthur remarked, respectfully approaching him.

"Forget about me, what about all the Changelings running around these woods?" The Duke asked being set down near another Soldier Pony medic by Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

"Scattered, sir, we pummeled them until they went running scared. Our forces quickly regrouped to come and apprehend their Queen." Arthur informed him.

An echoing laugh could be heard rising from tunnel; Queen Chrysalis appeared from the entrance. The 5th Northumberland Fusiliers dropped into their attack formation, poised for battle, unfazed by the maniacal way she carried on laughing.

"It's over, Queen Chrysalis!" Pinkie Pie shouted to her.

"I think not! Even with my Changelings scattered, there is still time enough to win the day!" Queen Chrysalis declared looking at the sun as it was nearing dusk.

"Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers! Prepare to subdue this wretched creature!" Arthur commanded with a sudden grunt from his Soldier Ponies.

"Fools! All of you! I will decimate all of you, along with Trottingham with the power of the Void! None of you will be able to comprehend the power I will soon wield!" Queen Chrysalis cried in delight.

With a flash of her horn, the power she was summoning, the ground shook violently from her power. Turning back towards the tunnel entrance, Queen Chrysalis fired her power spell down into the depths of the cave. The explosion far beneath the soil could be felt, the sudden upheaval of the mound of earth swelled before exploding the dirt high into the air; the force blasting in all directions.

Every pony dropped to the ground, covering their heads from the explosion, feeling the sky rain with pieces of dirt. No pony moved until the ground stopped shaking, the last bits of earth still falling from the sky, a massive dirt cloud was settling around them as Queen Chrysalis stood at the edge of the enormous crater she had created. The glow of the pulsing red Obelisks could be seen upon Queen Chrysalis's face, her wicked smile brimming from ear to ear at the sight of them.

Ever pony looked on, expecting to see the stories reported of the incident that had happened in the Ashen Fields, to see the portal crack open, the thunderous roar of the storm, but nothing happened. Silence hung in the air, Queen Chrysalis looking towards the sun that was still clearly hanging in the sky, before turning back towards the Obelisks that ominously pulsed without change.

"What is wrong?" Queen Chrysalis hissed, her anger rising again.

"Looks like you've failed, you old witch." The Duke mocked her. " _I will decimate all of you._ Ha!"

Queen Chrysalis whipped her head towards Sir Lancaster, her stare a cruel and vengeful one. Sir Lancaster recoiled from her but the Soldier Ponies stepped in front of him to shield him from any possible attack she may throw his way.

"I, Arthur Tullius, of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers place you under arrest for crimes against the good ponies of Trottingham and the Royal Crown." Arthur declared, having judged this all to be a farce.

Queen Chrysalis shook with anger, unable to fathom what Sir Lancaster had withheld from her, or what she had done wrong to activate the Obelisks.

"I will not be made a fool of again!" Queen Chrysalis declared in her outrage.

Her horn exploded with magical green neon light, firing a blast of magic at the left Obelisk which impacted it with a forceful explosion. The dust settled from her attack, the Obelisk still standing, her breathing was short from her rage, as every pony knew she was still a powerful threat and would not be easily taken down.

"I suppose I will just have to destroy you lot without the-"

 _ **CRACK!**_

The sound was so loud that it caused every pony to recoil in surprise. The left Obelisks formed a crack where Queen Chrysalis's magic had impacted. They were no longer pulsing, the two Obelisks red glow started to intensify, and a low hum could be heard coming from them as Queen Chrysalis slowly backed away from the lip of the crater.

* * *

In the Ashen Fields, Wingston sat at the right of the Throne, discussing the renovations that had been so far finished by Roman and his stone cutter ponies. Golden Fleece was there, tallying the bits needed for further improvements and remarking on the budgets they could set up for options concerning the amount of ponies that would need to work overtime to finish on schedule. A noticeable low hum started to fill the air around them; every pony stopped what they were doing to look for the cause of it, and every head turned towards the Obelisks that started to glow green.

* * *

Within the mountain of the Jungle Ponies, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were dictating a letter to Princess Sapphire about what they had found in the jungle to Daring Do. Chief Talon had conceded to Tier's choice of allowing them to make herself known to the outside world, feeling that it was her duty to now to help them in whatever way possible.

Almost like a lash from a whip, Tear fell forward out of the air in incredible pain, shrieking at the top of her lungs riving on the floor. It drew every ponies attention as the purple marks upon her arms started to burn brightly. Chief Talon tried to assist her; unsure of what was causing her such pain. Two dark figures at the bottom of the lake started to glow, turning the water color an ink black, the low hum growing louder around them.

* * *

Deep inside the roaring tundra of the Frozen North, two Obelisks stood started to burn blue, generating a low hum that trumped the howling winds of the blizzard. Floe the Court Wizard sat at his desk within his workshop, delicately trying to remove every seed from a strawberry; refusing to eat them otherwise. The hum reached his ears, taking a sudden interest in this phenomenon he quickly rushed to his window to the faintest blue light sparking in the distance. Galloping from his window Floe threw open his door to find Princess Sapphire about the important discovery he had made.

* * *

I had taken a breather from flaring my flames so continuously, Mira was still meddling with her jars, when she I both took notice of the markings on her arms suddenly growing brighter. To be honest, I had no idea if this was normal for her, seeing as I knew very little about her kind, but the horror on Mira's face told me that this wasn't a good thing.

"No… no… no, it's too soon." Mira mumbled in fear, staring at the marking on her arms.

* * *

With the humming becoming louder, it seemed liked the air trembled from the Obelisks, as Queen Chrysalis had nearly backed away far enough to be standing beside Pinkie Pie and the rest of the ponies. At the height of the humming, it was suddenly cut by the sound deep boom that echoed over and over again.

A black dot appeared within the air above the crater, almost like fire it started to burn the air around it, the dot grew larger, fizzling at its edges before it stopped its spread, and hung ominous; its flaking with bits of darkness. Every pony seemed to realize at the same time what they were staring at, a small rip into the Void.

The setting sunlight poured through the tear, illuminating the dark world to them, but all any pony could see was miles of black sand. Queen Chrysalis was stunned by this, stepping forward to get a better look at what was beyond it.

"Is… Is any pony there?" Queen Chrysalis called out to the portal.

There was an upheaval of wind that seemed to suck Queen Chrysalis closer to the portal, dragging her hooves to keep her from moving forward. Every pony held onto nearby trees, or one another to keep themselves grounded. The trees of the forest groaned from the wind that funneled into the Void, but it wind died away just as quickly.

Queen Chrysalis looked nervous, unsure of what was going on, and trying to find something her eyes could focus on in the blackness. With her eyes adjusting to the darkness, Queen Chrysalis could see a ruined castle miles off in the distance, perched upon a cliff that stood taller than anything else in the darkness. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of something moving in the darkness near the ruined castle. She saw storm clouds oozing up from under the cliff, lightening cracking across the clouds, illuminating a creature that stood upright, floating within it.

It lingered for a moment. Queen Chrysalis felt that this creature had locked eyes with her from so many miles away. The storm broke like water over the ruined castle, rushing down the cliff, racing across the fields of black sand like a tsunami, heading straight for her.

"I-I-I-I am here… t-t-to claim…" Queen Chrysalis stammered, trying to retain a brave front.

The roar of the storm echoed so loudly it shook the very ground of Equestria, every pony could feel the hunger it suffered, the desire to reach them, and emptiness that came with it. Queen Chrysalis leaped back from the portal, her nerves failing her, leaping into the air and running from the storm.

Pinkie Pie watched wide-eyed at the portal, seeing the storm barreling towards them, remembering the storm that taken the Great Dragon Char so easily; feeling every last happy thought be taken from her. The 5th Northumberland Fusiliers were beginning to run in fear of this storm, every pony else cowered before it.

The sun had slipped away in the west, the moon beginning to rise as the Obelisks were bathed in its glow. The red glow of the Obelisks faded quickly, returning to its neutral color of black before the markings began to glow a bright purple. With storm nearly upon them, it was as if the portal had taken a snapshot of what lied beyond it, like embers of a fire the portal started to peel away, disappearing into the air. The portal was gone. The Obelisks marking were now pulsing a deep purple, waiting to be used.

"We're safe now…" Sir Lancaster's voice broke the chilling silence.

"A-A-Are you sure?" Mr. Bartlesby voice quivered.

"The moon is what activates these Obelisks, not the sun, but only when presented with a pony of Royal Bloodline can it be opened again." Sir Lancaster reassured them.

"You'd… you'd excuse me if I don't step up right away." The Duke mumbled, looking rather flustered by the experience.

Rarity approached Pinkie Pie who was still fixated upon where the portal once stood. Placing her hoof gently on her shoulder, Pinkie Pie blinked a few times, looking rather pale, turning to look at Rarity.

"Are you alright, Pinkie?" Rarity asked slowly, still a bit shaken.

"Sparky is in there, Rarity." Pinkie Pie said sounding scared. "With that… that horrible… evil…"

"I know, darling." Rarity said to her sympathetically, trying to comfort her.

"I'm scared, Rarity." Pinkie Pie whispered clinging to her.

Rarity hugged Pinkie Pie, trying to comfort her as best she could. It was terrifying to say the least with what they had seen, but if they wanted to rescue Smolder, they would have to brave the portal again.


	32. Chapter 32: Against the Dying

_**The Age of Light. Reign of King Scorch**_

 _ **The End of the Fourth Year - The Wedding**_

 _ **Fifth Year - Gift of the Dark Marsh**_

* * *

Scorch was dressed in his Royal Armor; hoof crafted by the finest metallurgists in the Ashen Fields, the palladium metal gleamed from his own flames. The sleek design of his armor outlined his broad physique, his pauldrons only enhancing this image, while his bracers upon his legs brought attention to how tall Scorch had become. The Main Hall of Castle Char was packed full of prestigious and political dignitaries from all over Equestria, the families of the Noble Houses, and the melting pot of spectating ponies that traveled from all over Equestria to see this momentous occasion. The King of the Ashen Fields was to be married.

Standing at the top of the staircase, the Throne Room doors just behind them, Scorch was accompanied by General Hearth, his Best Pony, Lady Frost, the Bridesmare, and Princess Celestia who had been asked to officiate the ceremony.

"Are you nervous?" General Hearth asked curiously.

General Hearth stood beside Lord Scorch, holding them gem that Scorch was to place within the headdress of the soon to be Queen. It was an old Flame Pony tradition to place the proposal gem within the headdress, while in turn; the gem presented by the Queen would be placed within the armored chest piece of the King. It was an old tradition, based upon old Flame Pony conjecture that the value each placed upon one another was of heart and mind. The General was dressed in his Royal Armor, having gone to great lengths rigorously polished it the night before.

"I'm not nervous. Are you nervous? Because I am certainly not nervous." Scorch whispered to him.

"You sound nervous." General Hearth remarked.

"Who's nervous? You're nervous. Asking _me_ about being nervous. Get a load of General Nervous over here." Scorch hissed; he was very nervous.

"Can I offer you some comforting words, my Lord?" General Hearth offered to him.

"Only if they are comforting." Scorch mumbled.

"Once you see Lady Sunbeam, the world will seem to melt away, and your whole focus will be on her and nothing else." General Hearth said to him.

Scorch swallowed hard; finding it rather hard to believe.

"Was it like this on your wedding day, General?" Scorch asked curiously.

"Oh no, there wasn't even a fraction of this many ponies attending _our_ wedding. Good luck to you though, sir." General Hearth replied quickly.

Princess Celestia chuckled quietly to herself at Scorch's unfortunate plight, while Scorch narrowed his eyes at General Hearth in annoyance; General Hearth was smiling to himself.

The doors of Castle Char began to slide open. From the paved roads outside a gilded white carriage slowly rolled up, being drawn by Royal Pegasi Soldiers. The pipe organ at the end of the Main Hall that had dozens of pedals, four layers of piano keys, and nearly a hundred knobs began to breathe sound into the hall. The melody in which the musician pony played started off in a repeating form of ominous breathes of sound; it soon became more sentimental with the sudden introduction of precision strikes to the lower spectrum of keys.

There was truth to General Hearth's words Scorch had found, it seemed almost otherworldly to him as he saw only the carriage down the corridor of light. From it, Glow had emerged, draped in the whitest of Fire's Breath; it was equivalent to silk, but fire proof. Her headdress was a mixture of her crown, with several additions of silver branches, made of real silver, that traced the features of her face. Her flames danced in the breeze, making the silver in her crown shine like starlight, her gown flowing behind her that seemed like white snow the rippled like the sea.

They were face to face with each other now. Only the soft melody of the organ reached Scorch's ears, his eyes captivated by his Queen, smiling ear; seeing her smile back. The words of Princess Celestia seemed distant to him, the organ still repetitiously captivating the beauty of his Glow.

"Hi." Glow whispered to him; her face flushed.

"I love you." Scorch whispered back.

Glow smiled wide, unable to hide it as she stood diligently attentive as instructed in their rehearsals prior. Scorch reached out, taking her hoof in his, pulling her just a bit closer; seemingly lost within her eyes. Flushing even more now, Glow was worried that Scorch would not make it to the end of the ceremony before kissing her, but was relieved that he took it no further than what he had.

"Now, before every pony, present and past, we ask that you present one another with a gem, marking the cornerstone of this union." Princess Celestia announced to them.

Lady Frost stepped forward, offering Glow a deep red gem that reflected the flames that danced upon Scorch's mane. Placing it within the crevasse, hearing a small click to signal it was secured in place.

General Hearth proceeded next, holding out a soft yellow gem to Scorch, one that matched the flames of Glow's mane. Scorch took it, holding it in his hoof, staring at Glow intensely; the smile never leaving his face. In old Flame Pony tradition it was the common practice to not speak during the ceremony, as it was considered an extremely serious event. Although, the pause that Scorch took in placing the gem within Glow's crown made it clear that he was about to say something.

"You are everything I imagined love would look like, what love would feel like. For whenever my hope faded, or when the darkness began to creep in, you were always there, my Glow, showing me the way back from that lonely place. Now here we are, just one final pledge to be said, where you shall become mine, and I, yours, I want you to know that my love for you will never cease. That our flames will burn for an eternity, together, as reminder of my promise to you, that I will always love you; always." Scorch said to her.

His voice soft, words confident, his expression gentle, but serious in his promise. These were words Scorch only uttered when they were alone; his public displays of affection for her were limited to what was considered common practice among Royalty. Glow could only stare at him, unable to think of a single word that would have expressed the love she felt for him. Scorch placed the gem within her crown, smiling all the while.

Glow could hear Princess Celestia proceeding with service, but she didn't need to be asked whether or not she was willing to be with Scorch for the rest of her life.

There were cheers from every pony within the Main Hall; it seemed to shake the castle. Scorch and Glow locked together with a kiss, making them the newest Royal Family in Equestria. Princess Celestia snapped the book shut in amusement, realizing that the ceremony had already met its end, beaming happily at the two of them as they finally parted from one another.

Glow could feel the sudden realization that this had made it real. The annoying colt that kept coming back to her shop every other day, ordering the most hats any pony would know what to do with, all in the attempts to get closer to her, had finally stolen her heart and made her his Queen. Glow could not be happier.

"Congratulations, you two." Princess Celestia said to them.

"Thank you, Princess Celestia, for presiding over our ceremony and sharing this day with us." Scorch replied in gratitude.

Taking Glow's hoof, leading her down the staircase back to the entrance of Castle Char where every pony waiting outside will be able to see them. The cheering had not died down, nor had the organ that continued to play a more delicate version of the ominous opening, that made it feel hopeful and inspiring.

Princess Celestia watched Glow and Scorch leave together, hoof in hoof, feeling that the bond they had forged today would last their lifetime, and perhaps a time after that.

* * *

It had been a few months since their wedding; the position of Queen had been described to her in great length before the actual ceremony, just to give her an idea of what the position entailed. Daunting as the task may have seemed to her back then, it was her love for Scorch, and the desire to be with him that made her willing to go through with it. During the course of these few months, Scorch made it a point not to allow her to become overwhelmed with the responsibilities that came with her title. Glow was very appreciative of Scorch's concern, wanting to put her best hoof forward, she did want to start slow with the responsibilities presented to her, allowing the Noble and regular ponies to become comfortable with a new Queen. For Glow had ideas of her own that she wanted to implement within the Kingdom, things she had discussed with Scorch in past months who found many of them to be quite inspired, but she knew better than to demand change so quickly. She needed to earn the respect of her ponies first, to make their concerns her priority, and fulfilling her duties without fail, and when every pony considered her to be competent she would introduce her ideas.

That particular morning, Glow was walking alongside the perimeter of the Dark Marsh, wearing a very elegant grey cloak that Scorch had given to her along with astonishing new wardrobe fit for a Queen. Taking in the morning air, while overseeing the newest additions to the battlements General Hearth had built in the Kingdom's defense a few weeks prior. It was just one of the few duties Glow was able to alleviate from Scorch's busy schedule, that didn't interfere with her own, but with the title of Queen now, she took every duty seriously no matter how routine it may have seemed.

"As you can see, your Royal Highness, we have added three more watchtowers to the southeast perimeter to keep a closer eye on the Dark Marsh; increasing our response time by as much as twelve percent." General Hearth informed her.

"Very good, General." Glow said rather formally; her voice trying to sound regal.

General Hearth chuckled to himself. Glow felt her face flush.

"Too much?" Glow asked him sounding embarrassed.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but I thought you were doing an impression of King Scorch." General Hearth confessed.

"If I was to do an impression of him it would be more like this." Glow stated.

Throwing out her chest, Glow marched rather authoritatively wearing a rather grim face. General Hearth laughed aloud, covering his mouth with his hoof, doing his best to keep it together. Glow even found herself laughing at her antics, feeling that her status didn't change her as much as she feared it would with certain ponies. General Hearth and Glow continued on, still laughing together over the mannerisms of Scorch when something caught her eye.

From the corner of her eye, near the edge of the Dark Marsh, something was moving out from the tree line, it was much too difficult for Glow to see exactly what it was but she could see it falling down over and over again. General Hearth glanced up at her, noticing that she was looking towards the Dark Marsh, and turning to see the small creature stumbling in the distance.

"Be careful, my Lady, we don't know what-Glow!" General Hearth had begun, but was shock to see her run off towards it so suddenly.

Glow's long galloping strides put considerable distance between General Hearth and herself. Slowing her pace, Glow reached the creature that had stumbled from the Dark Marsh; it was a bat. It was badly beaten, its wing viciously torn from its arm, breathing erratically from its exhaustion and pain. Its eyes slowly opened, noticing Glow standing over it, its long wingless fingers trying to reach out for her; small screeches escaping its mouth. Somehow she knew that this was the Orc's doing. Quickly disrobing her cloak from her back, Glow covered it without a second thought, and used her magic she quickly wrapped it around the injured bat.

"My Lady, you cannot just run off like that, especially so close to the Dark Marsh." General Hearth called to her, galloping just a few steps behind her.

"Hearth, I'm sorry but we will have to finish the inspection of the battlements another time." Glow said quickly, turning to him holding the injured bat wrapped in her cloak in her arm.

"My Lady, what have you got-" General Hearth had begun but Glow had taken to the air; flying back to Castle Char.

General Hearth watched Lady Sunbeam soar towards the castle. A small smile crept across his face, knowing of how kind a pony she was, and how perfect a choice she was to be their Queen.

* * *

Scorch was in a meeting with the Head of the Noble Houses, discussing the funding armored carriages to better protect supplies from being destroyed by Spider attacks. It was not a very thrilling discussion, but one that made sense in the overall scheme of things. It wasn't until a Royal Guard, with not quite all the information, interrupted the meeting to inform Lord Scorch that Lady Sunbeam with in the Infirmary.

The speed in which Scorch galloped to the Infirmary must have set some sort of record for the fastest short distant sprint in Ashen Field history; what was more impressive is that he did not use his Flash Step. The doors to the Infirmary flew open with a very frightened Scorch scanning the room. Glow stood off to the side of a granite slab, watching three Unicorn Flame Pony doctors carefully treating a patient.

"Glow!" Scorch shouted with a mixture of fear and relief.

Glow turned to only feel Scorch's arms come around her, holding her tightly, and kissing the side of her head. Her face was flushing as the doctor ponies looked on, smiling to themselves at the spectacle Scorch was making, but Glow didn't really mind it all that much; she enjoyed his doting over her.

"What are you doing here, Scorch?" Glow asked curiously, finding a moment to have him ease off on his hugging assault.

"Some pony had said you were in the Infirmary. I-I-I-I feared the worst for you." Scorch said quickly, still looking her over to ensure she was alright.

Glow rolled her eyes at him, lightly slapping his face with her hoof at his concern.

"I'm fine, really." Glow said to him, giving him a soft kiss.

"Then why are you here?" Scorch asked curiously, smiling from the kiss.

"I found a wounded bat near the edge of the Dark Marsh; he was in desperate need of our help." Glow replied motioning to the unconscious bat upon the granite.

"A bat?" Scorch asked curiously, if not confused.

Scorch peered over at the patient the doctor ponies were working over. Indeed there was a rather badly beaten bat, unconscious, resting upon the table being mended and treated for its injuries. Breathing a sigh of relief, Scorch was just grateful that it wasn't Glow lying there in its stead.

"Will it survive?" Scorch asked the doctor ponies.

"Hard to say, my Lord. We are unfamiliar with its species, but we are doing everything we can to save it." One of the doctor ponies replied.

"Of course, it's going to make it Scorch." Glow hissed at him, feeling that he was giving up to easily.

"I'm not saying it _won't_ , Glow, it… it just seems like it's been through an awful lot." Scorch explained to her.

Scorch has a point. The bat did seem to just barely clinging to life, and Scorch knew how easily Glow's emotions tended to get worked up over these sorts of things. It was hard for her to see Soldier Ponies injured from Spider attacks, or ponies suffering from the effects of poison, but even thought this bat was no pony she was still hoping that it would make it nonetheless.

"If it is alright with you, my Lord, if you the Lady Sunbeam could wait outside, we will let you know of its condition as soon as we can." The doctor pony asked of them.

"Of course." Scorch replied, taking Glow's hoof and leading her from the Infirmary.

Closing the doors behind them, Scorch hugged Glow once more, which she returned in kind.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, Scorch." Glow said to him; pulling away from him.

"I'm just thankful you are alright." Scorch said sweetly, placing his head against hers.

The two stood there for a moment, enjoying the company of one another before Scorch sighed again, knowing that his meeting was still waiting for him.

"I have to return to the meeting, Glow, b-b-but I'll see you at dinner tonight." Scorch said with a smile.

"Don't work too hard." Glow replied, kissing him once more.

Scorch smiled at her, walking around her in better spirits, before heading back towards the meeting room; walking a bit slower than usual to drag out the allotted time of the meeting as much as possible. Glow looked back towards the Infirmary doors, her optimism told her that the bat was going to make it, but even if it did, it was going to have a difficult life ahead of it.

"Scorch?" Glow asked, calling after him.

Scorch turned towards her; looking at her attentively waiting for her to continue.

"If the bat does make it, would it be alright if I… took care of it?" Glow asked slowly.

"W-W-Wait, what?" Scorch asked in surprise, tripping over his words.

"The bat is crippled and will need help… adjusting to its new life. I was just… hoping that you'd be alright if I kept him here, in the castle, where he would be safe from the Orc and its spiders." Glow explained to him.

"Glow." Scorch replied. "You are my Queen now. You don't _ever_ have to ask for my permission for something like this. I'm alright with you taking care of this unfortunate bat, but just be careful it doesn't bite your or something.

Glow beamed at him. Feeling a sudden empowerment from his words to her. She _was_ the Queen now, no more just the honored guest like she was before and now able to make these sorts of decisions on her own. It also made her feel like Scorch really trusted her with her decisions and choices, like he had claimed to during their lunch dates together. Turning towards the Infirmary doors, Glow waited patiently for the doctor ponies to deliver her the good news she knew was coming.

* * *

Two days had passed since the doctor ponies had assured Lady Sunbeam that the bat was in stable condition. During those two days the bat lay resting, unconscious or asleep, which gave Glow time to prepare for what she had instore for the bat once it awoke.

The bat's eyes fluttered open. The lingering bruising pain of its injuries was far less severe now, allowing it to move with some ease. Lifting itself front the granite, it took notice of the grey cloak that was still wrapped around him, and bandages that wrapped his wingless arm. Lightly flexing its long fingers, the bat hissed in pain, gnawing on the bandages and hissing so more. Its ears perked up at the sound of rock sliding against rock, it turned to see a somewhat familiar Flame Pony that stepped into the room.

"You're awake?" Glow asked with a smile.

The bat remained motionless; its eyes staring unblinking at her. Glow carefully approached the granite slab, trying to make sure she didn't make any threatening moves that would make it fearful of her. She stood at the end of the slab, smiling at the bat, trying to make it feel at ease.

"I was worried that you weren't ever going to wake up." Glow said to it.

The bat didn't respond. Staring silently at her.

"You must be starving. I have brought some of these fruits from the Dining Hall; I hope you find them to your liking." Glow said to it.

With her magic, Glow made a couple of apple magically appeared out of thin air before placing them near it. The bat did not hesitate to reach out with its good wing, biting into it feverishly, but it only seemed to get through half an apple before it seemed to take a breather.

"I'm… not sure if you can understand me… but you're _safe_ here." Glow said to it, trying to emphasize the word.

The bat quickly picked up the cloak that was bundled around him; looking at her quizzically.

"No. No you can keep that." Glow said to it reassuringly.

The bat didn't seem to really understand as it bit into the apple again. Deciding that the bat was moderately comfortable with her presence, she conjured a rock slated book out of the air with her magic; drawing the attention of the bat. She placed it near it; glow opened it to a slate that had an etching of a bat.

"This is _you_." Glow said to it. "A bat."

Glow flipped the slates a few more times before stopping at an etching of a Flame Pony.

" _Flame Pony."_ Glow said patting herself on the chest to emphasize it.

The bat lifted one of the stone slates, looking rather curious about it, but all of Glow's hopes were smashed when the bat used that slate to smash the apple it was trying to eat. The mush of the apple was much easier for the bat to scoop into its mouth now. Glow sighed in defeat, but smiled at the bat's cleverness.

* * *

Nearly six months had passed. Glow had spent several hours a day with the bat, attempting to teach it to read and write, if only to communicate with it better. Its screeches were difficult to discern but it only did so when it needed to get her attention; the rest of the time it drew pictures or wrote words to convey its thoughts. Having given it a room, a small one, as Glow loaded it with furniture appropriate for its size and books for it to read. For within those months, the bat had shown great aptitude in its ability to read, having been lent books from the Royal Library every other day to read whatever it could get its wings on. It wore the cloak that Glow had given it, she had it hemmed of course to fit it better, and practiced every day to learn to walk on its claws; a difficult feat for a bat.

On this particular day, Glow had taken the bat outside, to simply walk with it and speak with it about the on goings of her life. The bat was able to understand her word for word now, having been able to write his responses quite clearly to her, and seemed to enjoy her conversations. Refusing to allow itself to be carried, Glow watched the bat stumble and fall nearly every few steps as it tried to walk upon its claws.

"I admire your determination to walk upright, but I don't think you'll be able to with such ease any time soon." Glow said to it.

Falling once more, the bat was slow to rise again, looking rather defeated in its attempt to move under its own power. Not wanting it to be discouraged, Glow looked about, finding a rather old, but strong tree near the edge of the Dark Marsh. She galloped over to it, using her magic to break a large piece of wood from its branch, before heading back towards the bat. Carving the piece of wood, shaving some of the rougher edges, Glow offered it to the bat who took it slowly took it.

"I hope this will help ease your burden just a bit, my friend." Glow said to it with a smile.

Glow noticed that the bat was beginning to cry, its arms shaking as it held the staff she had made it. Quickly lying down onto the ground beside it, she tried to comfort it as best she could.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry! Was it insensitive? I didn't mean to offend you." Glow quickly said to it.

" _Weee-_ " The bat softly screeched.

"What?" Glow asked looking curious.

" _Weeeng-_ " The bat screeched again.

Glow watched as the bat struggled to form the words it wished to speak.

"… _Wing… ston…_ " The bat was able to whisper to her.

"Wing… Wingston? Is that your name?" Glow asked in disbelief.

The bat named Wingston nodded its head to her. Glow smiled wide, astonished that this bat was beginning to speak in their language. She watched as his long cloaked wingless fingers reached out to her, much like it did when she first found him, she moved her hoof closer to him, feeling Wingston place it gently on her hoof.

"… _thank_... _you…_ " Wingston whispered.

Glow smiled warmly at him. Something inside her told her that she had made a lifelong friend that day, some pony she could trust, and it gave her an idea that she was sure Scorch would be rather surprised to hear.


	33. Chapter 33: The Glow of Fire

Glow Sunbeam was stirring from her sleep. Her flames flared with her yawn, bathing the dark room with light. Getting to her hooves, Glow stretched her wings, hearing several cricks and cracks of her joints popping. Looking around, Glow was surprised to find the blue glow of Mira's stardust like hair missing from the room. Rok, the enormous wolf laid near the opening of the room, whining softly. Its matted fur was thick with the black sludge of Hoopoe's feather and Kana's slime, Rok was still recovering from its wounds. Not wanting to surprise the wolf, nor approach it while it was in a vulnerable state, Glow thought it best to make her presence known.

"Ahem." Glow cleared her throat.

Rok's head turned towards her, its black eyes reflecting the flames of it mane. It whined loudly to Glow, looking back out from the hole of the room, continuing to whine; causing her to understand that something was wrong.

"Where's Mira, Rok?" Glow asked suddenly.

Rok howled at the sound of Mira's name, shaking the loose dust from the ceiling. Glow's horn brimmed with magic, disappearing on the spot and reappearing out on the streets just outside the building. The streets were empty, even the melted scorpions left behind after their battle had been meticulously devoured by the rodents in the Forgotten City. Turning to look at Rok, Glow saw a burnt engraving upon the wall near Rok; it was a message surely left by Mira.

"Goodbye." Glow read the words aloud looking confused by its meaning.

Looking about the empty streets, calling out Mira's name, Glow knew that Mira must have had quite the head start on her. Flaring her wings, Glow took to the air, flying high up alongside the building and landing up the rooftop to get a better view of the city. The Forgotten City spanned wide, it seemed endless in Glow's eyes, but there wasn't a hint of light anywhere to be seen.

The sudden crack of thunder had Glowing turning on the spot. In the far off distance, Glow could see a ruined castle perched upon a cliff, being consumed by a malicious storm that broke bolts of lightning and thunder every few moments. Glow stared at the phenomenon, unsure of what to make of it.

"Mira…" Glow whispered watching the storm rage in the distance.

* * *

Mira stood within the ruins of Castle Naught, her neon green markings pulsing softly, her blue stardust like hair gently drifting in the air. The castle's floor laid broken, its walls shattered beyond repair, there was little left to be called a ceiling, but it was once her home. A crack of thunder echoed across the Fields of Orouboros, the black clouds of the Storm drifting up from the abyss beneath the underside of the cliff. Drifting like a mist, the Storm began to envelop the entire castle, and even amongst the thunderous roar of the Storm the familiar sound of paper tearing could be heard growing closer and closer.

Null appeared from the darkness, its body still a husk, empty, the tattered robe it wore peeled from its body, its fractured mask slowly crumbling piece by piece. It walked with a purpose, staggering a few steps, its arm twitching violently at its side; its focus completely on Mira. Stopping only a few steps from Mira, Null swayed on the spot, it was hard to tell with how disfigured Null looked, but Mira knew he was starving.

Raising his arm, Null snapped its husk like fingers, creating a dark portal beside him, the purple Arcana known as Tear fell out. Tear's markings and stardust like hair were barely pulsing, she was so weak she could barely move, gasping for breath; clawing the floor with her hand.

"Did you bring the Flame Pony?" Null asked in a rasp.

"No." Mira replied.

Null's head snapped sideways, staggering abruptly towards Mira, reaching for her with its shaking arm, but stopping short of touching her face. Mira didn't cower away from him, but simply stared at him with such seething hatred.

"You've failed me." Null hissed to her.

"Everyone." Mira corrected him.

Null's head slowly turned itself up right, lowering its arm from her face, watching her markings pulse violently as she spoke.

"I failed everyone. I was supposed to protect them, but I failed. I tried, and I tried, but in the end I lost everything. All because I let you live." Mira said coldly to Null. "I'm ready to die now, with the comfort of knowing that you'll never leave this place, and that the Flame Pony will be safe."

"You're _hiding_ it from me." Null hissed in anger.

Mira didn't reply. She held out her arms, pressing her palms against Null's stomach. Null took hold of her arms, watching her shadow magic plume from her hands against him.

"I'm _protecting_ her from you." Mira corrected him once more.

With a shriek Mira's shadow magic exploded from her hands. Long thin shadow spikes, blackened like the night sky, skewered Null in several horrid directions; staking him to the ground. Null's arms fell limp to his sides, the Storm surrounding the castle seemed to tremble in agony; roaring in its pain.

Leaping back, floating up into the air, Mira slammed her hands together slowly drawing them apart as black flames seared from her fingers. Throwing her arms out to her sides, Mira conjured a large orb of black fire before her. Raising her arms over her head, the black orb of fire followed her movements, before she brought down her hands towards Null.

The black orb of fire impacted Null, breaking the spikes that bound him to the ground, and pushing him back across the ruined floor of the castle. Debris from the floor flew in every direction, the black orb of fire decimating the stone like glass before exploding and throwing Null off the edge of the cliff. The Storm retreated from the castle, racing back off the edge of the cliff, chasing after Null.

Mira rushed over to Tear who wept silently to her herself. Lifting Tear off the ground, Mira held her gently, carefully caressing her and whispering how sorry she was for what she had been through.

"I'll get you out of here, I promise." Mira whispered to her; pulling Tear's arm over her shoulder.

Mira was now carrying Tear, she was too weak to float on her own, but it was a miracle she was still alive at this point; with how weak she had become. Turning to leave, Mira found herself staring a Null's stomach once more. The Storm quietly seeping from the holes Mira's shadow magic had caused.

Hissing in frustration, Mira let Tear drop, dark aura billowing from her hands, but Null struck first. The Storm exploded from his chest, the force driving Mira back, slamming her through a severed pillar before retreating back inside Null. Mira picked herself up from the rubble, thin lines of blue essence streaked from her mouth; hissing in pain.

"Where are you keeping it?" Null's voice hissed; the sound of paper shredding with each word her spoke.

Flinging her arm towards Null, Mira's shadow magic flew from her hand like whips, striking and coiling themselves around him. Tossing her hand in the air, her shadow magic snapped from her fingers tips, lashing out the edges of the castle; binding Null on the spot.

Holding both hands out in front of her, Mira concentrated her power; the blue in her hair began to shine brightly, seeping into the marking on her arms as her eyes burned neon blue. Mira began to utter her incantation, the wind swirling around her, levitating loose rubble from the floor and throwing it high into the air.

Her eyes were focused upon Null, her attack nearly complete, but noticing the billowing of smoke on the ground before her. The Storm encased Null, vanishing on the spot, and suddenly imploding before Mira. His hand violently taking hold her neck, Mira eyes suddenly dimming to their natural yellow, her power slowly diminishing; struggling to breathe.

"Tell me." Null hissed at her.

"…no…" Mira gasped, clawing at his husk like arm.

Null let Mira drop from her grip. Striking the floor, Mira gasped for air, clutching her throat as she got to her hands and knees. Looking up towards him, Mira caught Null's fist on the side of her face, driving her head right into the ground. Holding his hand out over her the Storm exploded from his palm, beginning to devour Mira's light. Mira thrashed about, screaming in agony, feeling as if every inch of her body was being peeled away bit by bit.

Lowering his arm, Null watched Mira squirm upon the ground, hundreds upon thousands of small cuts littering her body. The markings upon her limbs were softly glowing, her hair a dim blue, but Mira struggled to lift herself. Reaching down, Null took hold of her hair, lifting her from the ground and holding her up to his face.

"Where is the _Flame Pony_?" Null whispered to her.

Mira spat in his face. The Storm within Null groaned its roar, shaking the castle around him, his rage mounting, and the clouds seeping from the holes in his body.

"Your light… belongs to me now…" Null hissed at her. "I promise you… it will be painful…"

Null's arm snapped out to his side, the Storm suddenly swarming around it, howling at the prospect of feasting upon Mira once more. Mira stared into the shattered mask the Null wore; she knew this was the end, closing her eyes to wait for the Storm's horrific embrace.

An immense yellow light flooded the shattered interior of the castle, bathing the back of Null in golden glow; the searing of flames burning the air around them. Null's head twitched slightly, dropping Mira and turning around in an instant, he stood face to face with the Flame Pony; engulfed in storm of her own flames.

"I promise you… this will be painful." Glow whispered coldly.

An eruption of fire exploded from Glow's mouth. The impact of the blast was so forceful it knocked Null from his feet, sending him flying from the cliff into the abyss. The Storm exploded from Null's body, roaring in its ferocity, levitating Null in the darkness.

"What… are you… doing here?" Mira wheezed in anger. "Run… you stupid… Flame Pony."

Reaching out her wing, Glow traced her fiery feathers over Mira's body, sharing her fire with her; restoring much of Mira's old strength. Mira lifted herself from the ground, looking at her arms seeing her wounds begin to vanish.

"I'm here to save you, Mira." Glow stated.

"I didn't ask to be saved! You were supposed to go back to your stupid kids!" Mira shouted, terrified for her.

"You're my friend, Mira." Glow said looking at her. "I made you a promise, and I plan to keep it."

Even with the fire that surrounded her body, Mira could see the warmest smile Glow had ever given her. Tears began to well in Mira's eyes, not knowing what to say.

" **You will be consumed along with the Arcana, Flame Pony**!" Null's voice boomed across the Kingdom of Naught.

"You will not touch her again!" Glow declared angrily.

Flaring her flames, Glow stood within an inferno of fire, one that filled the entirety of the castle. The Storm billowed towards her with great speed, funnels like tornados stretching out from Null's body barreling towards her. The Storm impacted her fire before immediately burning away from the touch. Null shrieked in agony, the Storm howling, growing in its size, thunderously booming in its frustration from it being thwarted. Null leaped out of the air, landing hard upon the cliff, throwing the Storm back towards her, but the results were the same, the Storm burned away at the touch of her flames.

Mira was staring in disbelief at what she was seeing, nothing had ever hurt Null before, let alone the Storm, but the sharp rasps of Tear snapped her back into focus. Backing away, rushing towards Tear who weakly smiled at the flames that surrounded her, Mira pulled her up onto her shoulder once more before taking one final look at Glow. Glow was marching forward, forcing Null to retreat, and trying relentlessly to absorb her light. Taking the opportunity, Mira floated off with Tear to bring her someplace safe, leaving Glow to face Null alone.

" **What is this magic?** " Null's voice boomed angrily across the fields; the Storm roaring loudly in his anger.

"You have tormented this world enough!" Glow declared.

Her horn swelled with light, focusing a beam of magic that pierced straight through Null's body, the fragments of the beam thinned before exploding in a line she had traced exploding him on the spot. The Storm surrounded Null, his shattered mask had been destroyed, and his vacant face visible to her now. Its eye sockets were hollow, its face gaunt, it looked starved, but more importantly it looked afraid.

Null raised its arms, the ground beneath Glow suddenly erupted the Storm tunneling beneath her, throwing her high into the air. Glow caught herself with her wings, watching the Storm surround her, roaring, casting bolts of lightning all around her; the thunder shaking the air. Looking below, Glow saw Null flying straight up towards her, his arms coated with shadow magic, shaped like swords.

Flaring her wings, her horn sparked with magic creating an orb of light around her. Null struck the shield, the shadow magic smashing against it, unable to break through. Glow watched as the shadows inked its way across the orb, concealing her in shadow. There was a vicious strike that knocked Glow hard out of the air, feeling her shield impact the ground, shattering from the force. Quickly rising to her hooves, Glow exploded with fire once more, watching Null hang in the air high above her.

Lifting his arms, the Storm swirled around Null before racing down towards the castle. The Storm broke pieces away walls, dug up stone from the ground, lifting these pieces high into the air; Glow knew what was coming next. With a thrust of his hand, Null sent a volley of rocks at her.

Raising her wings, her horn glowing with magic, the flames on her wings turned white hot as she started to whip them towards the incoming debris. Streaks of fire slashed through the air, cleaving the stones in two, vaporizing some, while the halves fell to the wayside. With her focus on the rocks above, the Storm struck from below, washing over her; consuming her within its clouds. Null lowered its arms, floating down to the floor of the castle, watching the Storm encapsulate her flames.

With sudden flurry of fire, Glow's flames dispelled the Storm, burning a great majority of it, causing Null to stagger back from the blast. Rearing back, Glow let loose a torrent of fire that washed over Null, consuming him within the flames. The Storm roared in agony, it stretched high from Null attempting to escape the fire as it twisted and turned in its pain. Null fell to his knees, its body burning away from Glow's fire, the Storm trying to wretch itself away from him.

"This will end it!" Glow declared rearing back once more.

* * *

Mira floated as fast as she could, carrying Tear at her side, trying to reach the eastern edge of the Fields of Ouroboros; near the Shatter Ocean of Existence. Two Obelisks stood in the distance, masked in the darkness, standing ominously, the only thing towering as far as the eye could see. Growing closer, Mira slowed to a stop, placing Tear upon the black sand, before standing before the two Obelisks.

Taking several deep breaths, Mira raised her arms up to the Obelisks, her neon green markings to pulse and causing the Obelisks to do the same with similar colors. Mira's energy was suddenly drawn from her hands, being absorbed into the Obelisks, glowing brighter and brighter with every second. The amount of power needed used to require three or four Arcana to open a portal, each being at the peak of their power to do so, but Mira was alone; giving what she could.

There was a sudden crack boomed across the Fields of Ouroboros, a single black orb appeared high above them. Mira fell to the ground, her green marking nearly white, her hair ghastly blue, having used up all of her power. The black orb had drawn itself in a line before splitting open and revealing a dark world beyond it. Pulling herself towards Tear, Mira got to her feet, dragging Tear towards the portal, already beginning to see the Obelisks ability to maintain the portal waver.

"No matter what happens, don't ever come back to this place. You got that?" Mira hissed at her.

"Mira…" Tear whispered weakly.

Pulling Tear to the edge of the portal, Mira tossed Tear through watching her slump to the dirt on the other side. The Obelisks were losing power, the portal beginning to close. Mira looked back towards the castle watching the Storm and Glow's flames plume in distance, before looking back towards Tear.

"Goodbye, Tear." Mira said sadly.

Turning her back towards Tear, Mira walked away from the closing portal, the black line receding back up into the orb before disappearing altogether. Try as she might, she had no strength left to float, forcing her to walk upon the ground. The Obelisks had robbed her of most of her power, unable to run for more than a few steps before tripping from exhaustion and sliding in the black sand.

Nearing the base of the cliff, the road leading up to the ruined castle lay before her as a sudden stillness came across the fields. The Kingdom of Naught was silent; all that could be heard was Mira's short rasps staring up at the castle wondering what had happened.

The Storm rose up over the front of the castle, cascading down the road like water, the clouds billowing before Mira. From the darkness of the Storm, Null stepped out. His body still a husk, pieces of his skin ripping away in the breeze as he towered before Mira.

Staring up at him in disbelief, Mira shook with fear, finding it hard to stand anymore. Null reached out, touching her face, gently stroking his finger along her cheek to her chin, and then slapped her across the face with back of his hand. Mira remained on the ground, her hands clenching the sand, eyes beginning to swell with tears again.

"Thank you for bringing me the Flame Pony." Null hissed to her.

Mira covered her face with her hands, wailing in sorrow, knowing that Glow had been devoured by the Storm. Null stood over her, watching her wail for some time before turning to head back up towards the cliff's expanse to step into the abyss once more.

"Now bring me the _other_ Flame Pony." Null ordered her.

The Storm consumed Null, retreating up the cliff, disappearing over the ruined castle leaving Mira alone in the fields. With her eyes flooded with tears, Mira wiped them with her arms, staring at the markings upon them. Her grief turned to anger; she bit her own arms, claws her own face, thrashing upon the ground unable to bear the guilt of getting her friend killed. After a time, Glow got to her feet, her anger festering deep her heart, having been asked to find the 'other' Flame Pony, Mira knew what she had to do. The cruel heartless beast that had brought Glow here to begin with, the monster that had nearly killed her, who allowed her to die, Mira would become the monster she knew herself to be and steal the power of a Flame Pony.

* * *

Mira held out her arms in front of her, her markings glowing brightly, casting the cave in a neon green as she stared at them with such fear. Just as soon as it had started, her markings had dimmed considerably, returning to their normal glow. Tracing her fingers across her markings, Mira looked up from her arms towards the ceiling of the cave wondering what was going on in the fields of Ouroboros. Dropping her gaze, Mira found herself staring at Smolder who had his head tilted ever so slightly, looking at her with concern.

"What?" Mira asked, in a cautious whisper.

"What was too soon?" I asked her.

"What?" Mira asked again, her voice sounding more annoyed.

"You said 'it was too soon', and I asked you _what_ was too soon." I explained to her.

"Something… something is wrong." Mira mumbled to me. "It was as if something was trying to open a portal to this place again."

"Oh! Then it must be Sapphire and the others." I stated with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Mira asked looking confused.

I felt the ground move under my hooves. The entire cave suddenly began to tremble. It reminded me of the Great Dragon Char having taken its leap out onto the Ashen Fields, but this quaking seemed to be growing closer. Mira sunk low, covering her head, shaking all over at of fear. Even underground, the roar of this unknown force from up above disturbed the air around us. I did my best to keep my hooves on the ground, trying to steady myself from this as the shaking began to die down.

Mira refused to look up; still cowering at the otherworldly noise that had passed over us. I waited, listening carefully for whatever was to come next. I could make out the faint sounds of thunder, a howling of wind, before everything went quiet once more. Dropping my gaze from the ceiling to Mira, I placed my hoof upon her shoulder only to have her shriek in fear and cower away from; believing I was something else.

"It's… it's just me." I said reassuringly.

Mira was hyperventilating, having been shaken to her very core. Sitting beside her, I draped my wing over her pulling her closer to me; trying to calm her down. She clung to me for a while, letting her dictate when she was going to be alright again; keeping quiet all the while. It was some time later before Mira seemed to have calmed down, slowly beginning to realize how vulnerable she had let me see her.

"It's okay. I'm here." I said trying to sound comforting.

Feeling Mira pull away from me, I watched her float off towards the ceiling of her cave. Straining her ears, Mira tried to listen to anything that might still be up there. An exhaustive sigh informed me that whatever was up there had moved on.

"What was that?" I asked quietly.

" _That_ … was Null." Mira said sounding rather nervous.

From what I had heard, it really did sound like a raging storm tearing its way across the fields above, and it didn't paint much of a picture in my mind of what Null looked like; it only _sounded_ horrifying.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked looking concerned for her.

"Y-Y-You said Sapphire was… was trying to open the portal?" Mira asked nervously; pulling on her fingers.

"Yeah, Sapphire must have figured out my message I left for her and is trying to reach us." I said to her.

I watched as Mira seemed at a loss for words. She blinked several times, as if trying to think of something to say and failed to even utter a single word.

"You don't have to worry; Sapphire and the others are very friendly and will want to help you defeat this Null guy." I said to her reassuringly, stepping towards her.

"Smolder… they… they can't open the portal, they don't have your fire." Mira said to me; still looking worried.

"Well, they sort of do. I left a friend of mine, Tea Herbal, with a lantern with my flame in it. They'll probably figure out a way to make it work; along with all the other Obelisks." I explained to her.

"Other… other Obelisks?" Mira whispered in disbelief.

"Sapphire and every pony else are probably looking for the others as we speak. Well, I hope they are. I mean it is a long shot to find the others but I'm sure they're doing everything they can." I replied.

"S-S-S-S-Smolder you… you can't… they'll… they'll…" Mira stammered looking rather worried.

"They wouldn't do anything dangerous, Mira; they're looking for a way to help us stop Null just like you asked." I said to her.

"But I asked _you_ to help me." Mira said quickly pointing at me.

"I know, and I asked my _friends_ to help _me_." I said to her.

Mira's face was looking very worried. She must have been thinking of the possibility of the Storm escaping this place, but I knew that no pony would open the portal if it was too dangerous. Even so, I also knew that they would try just about anything to come after me; at least that's what I was hoping for.

"You look worried, Mira." I said to her.

"I'm fine. Just get back to your training." Mira muttered quickly; turning away from me.

"Mira, I-" I had started to speak.

"Do you want to help me or not?" Mira asked, interrupting me; her voice sounding rather scared.

"Of-of course I do." I replied reassuringly.

"Then… please… get stronger… for me." Mira said slowly.

I nodded my head a few times. Mira had only ever said the word 'please' to me one other time, when I had nearly destroyed myself with Elder Dragon Fire. Both times I could hear the genuine fear and concern in her voice. I did what I was asked and returned to the other side of the cave to practice some more, trying to push out my questions, and focus on how I could use my flames as a shield.

Mira floated back towards her jars. Her hands were now trembling for a different reason. The ponies of Equestria were actually _trying_ to come after their friend, they were looking for the other Obelisks, and if they somehow managed to open a portal all of Mira's plans would be ruined. Mira glanced over at her Flame Pony, pondering to himself about how to solve his dilemma with his fire shield.

"No one was supposed to come for you." Mira whispered to herself.


	34. Chapter 34: Well-Suited Friends

Trottingham had barely slept with all of the talk about the strange lights and noises coming from the moor from the evening before. The Police Ponies at the Yard had set up the podium to where the Constable would make his address to the herd of reporter ponies all anxiously waiting to hear the 'official' reason to what had happened.

The Constable was sitting in his office finishing the final notes of his statement he would give to the reporter ponies. Having only about an hour's sleep, periodic naps in between his reports, and generally trying to fit the events of yesterday in brief summary for his superiors. Luckily, Sir Arthur Tullius and the Duke had elected to return to Parliament to give their own report on what had happened on the moor, but it didn't save him any of the paper work; just a trip. Rising from his chair, tucking his statement within the inside coat pocket of his dress uniform and left his office.

Dozens of Police Ponies were cleaning the Yard from the battles that had taken place within the Cafeteria, as well as the hall. Ms. Lulamoon's smoke bombs left a thin layer of residue lining many of the hallways, the areas in which the bombs had gone off left sizable piles, but it was of little consequence when measured up to a Trottingham run by the Queen of Changelings. The captured Changelings themselves, still locked within their cells, would most likely starve in such a dreary place, but the Constable had made them a very 'fair' offer.

If a Changeling was willing to cooperate, offering whatever information upon their Queen, their hive, or anything of value; they would be escorted out to the boundaries of Trottingham and set free. Those that refused to do so would be kept for the maximum of five days, while being fed the love Sergeant Kowalski had for his safety pin collection; there were many Changelings that jumped at the opportunity to get out earlier. While it was true that these creatures, these Changelings, had attempted a hostile takeover, it very much seemed to be the Queen's plan and that these creatures were just her loyal servants that carried it out. The Constable could see no reason to keep any pony locked away for simply doing what their King or Queen had asked of them, they fed upon love, and many regular ponies have a hard time finding that themselves.

Walking down the corridor, the Constable could see Mr. Montague and Mrs. Genevieve Montague, his wife, standing with Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva. Genevieve was a lightly tanned pony, her mane a oak brown, and cutie mark that bore a two gold rings interlocked with one another. It was apparent that Mr. Montague's back was no longer paining him, at least not enough to prevent him from standing under his own power and seemed to be in chipper spirits.

"Siegward, really, fighting a Bugbear? You're not a young colt anymore; you have to start acting your age." Mrs. Montague stated shaking her head at him.

"We were under siege, dear, I _had_ to do something." Mr. Montague replied, trying not to get into trouble.

"Mr. Montague did save our lives more than once, and nearly won that fight with the Bugbear on his own." Mr. Bartlesby spoke up.

"But really, Siegward, you shouldn't be doing these sorts of dangerous things anymore. I don't know what I would do without you." Mrs. Montague said endearingly to him.

"Neither would we." Misses Minerva added nudging James in the ribs.

"Ow. Oh! Right, well… you see… Mr. Montague… and Mrs. Montague, of course, we were wondering if… it will be a while before… well…" Mr. Bartlesby mumbled trying to find the right way phrase it.

"We would like for you to be the godparents of our foal or filly." Misses Minerva stated.

Mrs. Montague looked very touched with the offer. Mr. Montague looked very moved, and fumbling for his handkerchief.

"We… we thought that… our uh… baby could use a good role model and uh…" Mr. Bartlesby stated, looking quite embarrassed himself.

The Constable smiled to himself at what he had overheard, having only just walked by them to reach the lobby where he would step out and address the awaiting reporter ponies. Passing the Waiting Room, the Constable had come across the door slightly ajar. Taking a moment to look in, the Constable could see Ms. Lulamoon, Rarity and Pinkie Pie speaking to one another.

"What are the two of you going to do now? Seeing as you found your two… pointy… rock… things." Trixie asked curiously.

"We'll most likely be in town for a couple more days, working with the research to send back a detailed report to Princess Sapphire." Rarity replied.

"What are you going to do, Trixie?" Pinkie Pie asked her.

"I was going to stop by the hospital to see how Sir Lancaster was doing. I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife before this whole ordeal and I think offering them two tickets to our play this week will make him feel a little bit better." Trixie explained to them.

"That sounds delightful! Pinkie Pie we must really take a day to ourselves, see the play, and just enjoy everything Trottingham has to offer." Rarity remarked longingly.

"I never got to try any of Trottingham's 'chips' yet!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly at the idea.

"I'm sure I could come up with a few more tickets for you, but I'm not too sure about the chips though." Trixie offered.

The Constable left the Waiting Room's door; the smile never leaving his face. Entering the lobby, the Constable could see the crowds of reporter ponies waiting for him outside and seeing several of his Police Ponies standing just outside, keeping the crowds in check and awaiting his arrival. Stepping out of the Yard, the Constable was bombarded with several flashing cameras, dozens of questions being asked at him all at once. This was something he was used to, refusing to speak as he approached the podium where he adjusted the microphone to me level with his voice.

"Good morning." The Constable said aloud; his voice being amplified by the speakers.

Every reporter pony started to fall quiet, getting ready to listen to what the Constable had to say.

"Yesterday morning, we received word of a missing pony, Sir Arnold Lancaster. We set out with a consulting detective by the name of Pinkamena Pie and her assistant Rarity to discover the whereabouts of said pony. In so doing we uncovered a plot by the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis, to take over the Yard as well as Parliament." The Constable began to read aloud off his paper.

There were many whispers running through the crowd of reporter ponies.

"Queen Chrysalis's plan was offset by a Research Team that Duke Wellington himself put together, and attempted to claim an ancient artifact for herself. I am happy to report that both the Yard and Parliament are out of danger, Sir Lancaster has been recovered, mostly unharmed, and is showing excellent signs of recovery. I am not allowed to share with every pony at this time _what_ had occurred out on the moor, other than the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers, led by Sir Arthur Tullius had met these intruders known as Changelings in open combat and won the day." The Constable concluded.

There was an uproar of questions that came from the reporter ponies. The Constable tried to settle them down by waving his hooves down to quiet them before pointing to a reporter pony in the crowd.

"Constable, sources say that the Queen of these Changelings had gotten away, is this true?" The reporter pony asked.

"Queen Chrysalis had fled before we were able to place her into custody, but we are increasing our patrols and searches to ensure that she is still not lurking about." The Constable replied; pointing to another reporter pony raising their hoof.

"We have had unconfirmed rumors that what happened out on the moor was similar to what had happened in the Ashen Fields, care to make a statement on that?" A rather well-informed reporter pony asked.

"Not really." The Constable remarked; pointing to another pony.

"Sir, there has reports of similar humming sounds from different parts of Equestria, much like the one we experienced just last night. Is this somehow related?" Another reporter pony asked.

The Constable wasn't surprised on how knowledgeable these reporter ponies were. Keeping a lid on the whole thing was just standard procedure until the ponies upstairs kicked back an official statement on what had happened; the Constable was just there to give them the bare facts of the case.

"Sir, why did the Yard put so much pony power into finding one lost colt?" A reporter pony called out his question.

"Are you saying that we _shouldn't_ have tried so hard to find a missing colt?" The Constable asked curiously.

"Well… no, I just mean that…" The reporter pony mumbled; feeling put on the spot.

"Because that's not how we do things here at the Yard. Every pony, no matter who they are, or where they come from deserves our help. Sometimes you don't get to make that choice, sometimes it is made for you, but there are rare occasions when just your average everyday pony decides to do something more. What I had experienced yesterday was an unprecedented amount of selflessness, the desire to what was right, and all without reward from several concerned civilian ponies who just wanted to help find a missing colt." The Constable explained to the crowd of reporter ponies.

No reporter pony asked another question. The atmosphere seemed very surreal at the moment, that this wasn't just some predetermined response but something heartfelt.

"So that is what we do, all day and every day; we help ponies. Because in the end, we are all just ponies. Some have sworn an oath to be the ones to run towards danger, to put their lives on the line, while there are those who have made no such promises, but still choose to run towards it anyways. Because we believe that every life is worth saving." The Constable said conclusively to them. "Thanks for your questions."

* * *

Princess Sapphire escorted Tea Herbal, Christie Chapel, and Florence Gale on a tour of Castle Fjord. Much like her father, Sapphire was very proud of Ice Pony heritage, spending several minutes at each ice sculpture to give detailed accounts of its history, and making a point to inform them that her father sculpted the statues himself. Chapel and Florence were rather riveted by the whole tour, mostly because they were hanging out with a princess. Tea tried to seem rather curious about the whole thing, but much like Lady Frost, she didn't care much for history in general.

The tour was to be cut short, due to the late hour, where temperatures outside would drop to below freezing, and it was rather ill advised to have normal ponies walking around at such times. Promising to bring them to the Arctic Bluff and the Noble Cliffside tomorrow, Sapphire ended her tour at the base of the second staircase leading to the third level of Castle Fjord that connected the Noble Pony area.

"The Noble Cliffside is where the wealthy Nobles reside. There are ice bridges that connect to the cliff's edge that allow for easy access to Castle Fjord, as well as bridges that bring us down to the Arctic Bluff." Princess Sapphire informed them.

Chapel, Tea, and Florence watched teems of ponies climbing up and down said stairs, all looking quite fancy in their clothing, and paying no heed to the 'normal' mares, but none forgot to bow their head slightly as they passed Princess Sapphire.

"Can I interest the three of you to dinner?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously, turning to them.

"You're inviting _us_ to dinner?" Chapel asked in disbelief; eyes shimmering in anticipation.

"Yes… it was an invitation." Princess Sapphire replied slowly.

"You mean _we_ can eat at the same table as you?" Florence asked sounding equally stunned.

"We'd love to." Tea followed up, giving Sapphire a straight answer.

"Look Shannon, Princess Sapphire has returned from the 'badlands'." A rather aristocratic voice spoke up.

Princess Sapphire shuddered uncomfortably at the sound of this voice. Getting all of her frowns out as quickly as possible, she mustered up a half-hearted smile, turning to face two Noble colts that descended the stairs.

"Lord Borris, Lord Shannon, what a… lovely… surprise." Princess Sapphire said slowly through clenched teeth.

"Who are they?" Tea whispered to Sapphire.

"My _other_ choice in… suitors." Princess Sapphire hissed under het breath.

"You're kidding!" Tea hissed back in disbelief.

Both colts were roughly the same age as Sapphire. Lord Borris was dressed in a black three piece suit that had two gold buttons, one of his eyebrows seemed perpetually cocked making him look inquisitive all the time, his cloudy mane was a deep blue, his hide slightly lesser shade from his mane, and his cutie mark bore a dancing polar bear.

Lord Shannon always seemed to be smiling, his teeth a pearly white, he wore a two piece suit, carried a cane that he did not use, but kept it under his arm. His cloudy mane was sort of clumped, giving off the illusion of him having shorter hair, its robin egg color made him seem approachable, but his lighter blue color hide made him look rather ghastly at times. His cutie mark depicted three icicles handing from an icy cave.

"Princess Sapphire, what a pleasure it is to have you back at the castle. I can only imagine how horrid it must have been spending over a week in the 'badlands.'" Lord Shannon welcomed her.

"Badlands?" Tea asked sounding confused.

There was silence that followed Tea's question, the two Noble colts giving her deadpan expressions.

"Was _she_ talking to _us_?" Lord Borris asked looking rather surprised.

"Lord Borris, Lord Shannon, these are my guests; Tea Herbal, Christie Chapel, and Florence Gale. They've traveled all the way from Manehatten to be here today." Princess Sapphire introduced them; trying to remain civil about it.

"Dreadful city, really. You can't walk two steps without being asked to buy a cob of corn by some vendor pony. I mean really, keep it in the restaurant." Lord Borris muttered; the two chuckling to themselves.

Chapel and Florence were about to defend the honor of Manehatten, but Princess Sapphire's wing fanned at them to let it go; she seemed to want to have this end as quickly as possible and without trouble.

"Why call it the 'badlands'?" Chapel asked, trying to sound civil.

"The 'badlands' that Lord Shannon and Lord Borris are referring to is the Kingdom of Flame Ponies; the Ashen Fields." Princess Sapphire clarified for them.

"Nothing _good_ has ever come from the 'badlands'. Just a bunch of hot headed ponies fighting in the dirt, and digging for gold. Poor Princess Sapphire had to travel all the way down there to meet with the supposed 'King' of those _lame_ ponies." Lord Shannon jived, ribbing Lord Borris with his elbow.

" _Lame_ ponies, you are a card, Shannon." Lord Borris chuckled to himself.

"His name is Smolder!" Tea snapped; looking rather angry with them.

"Doesn't matter what his 'name' is, the King is gone, got himself trapped in some other dimension; all the high Nobles know about it. Which means Princess Sapphire doesn't have to wed that boorish oaf of a pony, and choose a colt of _real_ nobility to be her special somepony." Lord Borris replied giving Sapphire a very hopeful grin.

"Thank you for your continued… interest, Lord Borris, but I am not in any hurry to be married." Princess Sapphire stated, trying to sound humbled.

"You mean that _you_ two are her choices for a special somepony?" Florence asked in shock.

"Quite lucky for the Princess if I do say so myself. Although, there are many other young Noble Colts that could be considered, but we're the cream of the crop when it comes to our pull with the Kingdom." Lord Shannon informed them proudly.

Princess Sapphire grimaced, a painful frown of having to be reminded of that horrible truth.

"I can only imagine how your stomach must have turned knowing you would be married off to the King of the _lame_ ponies, but rest assured Princess, Borris and I will be here to offer you alternate solutions." Lord Shannon reassured her.

"Who'd want to hang out with _you_ two?" Florence asked in a snarky voice.

"I beg your pardon?" Lord Borris replied looking flabbergasted.

"Oh my Celestia, you two are the most _lamest_ colts we've ever met." Chapel groaned rolling her eyes.

"I'll have you know my father owns the largest deposit of-" Lord Shannon began to retaliate.

" _Largest_ deposit of 'who gives a hay'." Chapel cut in again with a disinterested sigh.

Princess Sapphire looked rather surprised with both Florence and Chapel's attitude towards the Noble colts.

"How dare you speak to us with such disrespect!" Lord Borris shouted angrily.

"Colts who go on and on about themselves _really_ are the worst." Florence mentioned, tossing her mane over her shoulder with a flick of her head.

"More like little foal's wanting attention." Chapel piled on.

"We have sat at the Royal Table for many a nights, talking in length with Princess Sapphire over a number of amusing-" Lord Shannon began to rail off.

"I can't remember Princess Sapphire ever once mentioning either of you." Florence cut in, sounding disinterested.

"I'm… I'm… sure the Princess didn't want to… mix words with such commoner ponies when speaking about us." Lord Shannon stated, looking rather demoralized.

"She _did_ talk a lot about _Smolder_ though." Chapel said dreamily, looking towards Florence.

"Oh my Celestia! Smolder is like the hottest colt in all of Equestria right now! He was even featured in Equestrian Magazine's Most Handsome Colt!" Florence squealed in delight.

Tea knew that none of this was true, even though Smolder was pretty cute, but it was all just nonsense at this point. She had seen it several times before when she was working at the coffee shop back in Manehattan, some colt thought he could put the moves on one of them, but if they felt he was a little too forward they'd drop him hard. Needless to say, both Lord Shannon and Lord Borris looked very threatened by the claims Florence had made, whispering among themselves if either of them had ever read Equestrian Magazine.

"Do you remember when Princess Sapphire was regaling us about the battle that took place in the Ashen Fields? It was the part where she said how _Smolder_ threw himself in front of that Elder Dragon's fire to save her?" Florence asked her, sounding excited.

"Was that before he fought the army of spiders, or after he went hoof to fist with the Orc?" Chapel asked, thinking back on it.

"I think it was before he opened a portal to another dimension to beat that very same dragon." Florence pointed out.

"Well, all that was _after_ he gained the support of Princess Celestia to help him defeat the Mad King and free all of his Flame Ponies from the ' _badlands_ '. " Tea added on, emphasizing their own word.

Lord Borris and Lord Shannon looked very flustered, unable to think of anything that could measure up to such claims that Florence and Chapel had made.

"We've… done… something similar!" Lord Borris blurted out, feeling very emasculated.

"Oh!" Chapel and Florence said together in fake surprise.

"Have either of you fought a dragon?" Tea asked curiosuly.

"Well… no." Lord Shannon replied looking rather embarrassed. "But we have a painting of one!"

"Yes! A painting done by one of the most gifted artists in all of the Frozen North!" Lord Borris declared proudly.

"A painting." Chapel repeated flatly.

"It's a rather... _large_ painting." Lord Shannon mentioned; sounding rather sheepish.

There was a sudden and unfamiliar sound that floated through the air. Princess Sapphire had her hoof over her mouth, her wing covering her face trying to hide the fact that she was laughing at them. Try as she might to stifle her laughs, she could not, and her laugh seemed to be the final gut punch for both Lord Borris and Lord Shannon.

"I… we… you… good evening, my Lady." Lord Shannon said quickly, bowing his head to her before heading back up the stairs; faced flushed.

Lord Borris bowed his head to Princess Sapphire without another word, glaring at the three of them, but Tea, Florence, and Chapel waved goodbye to them with victorious smiles.

"And don't forget! King Smolder was Princess Sapphire's _first_ choice in a special somepony!" Florence shouted after them; hoping to serve them one last slice of humble pie.

Florence, Chapel, and Tea all smiled at one another, high hoofing each other for a job well done, and looking towards Princess Sapphire who was still very much in stitches; finding it difficult to draw a breath.

"They... they... they..." Princess Sapphire wheezed through her laughter. "They... have a picture... of one!"

Princess Sapphire couldn't help herself, she laughed aloud, perhaps the most genuine the three of them had seen her from her normal stern demeanor. Even so, her laughter was rather infectious as Tea, Chapel, and Florence weren't able to stop themselves from cracking smiles of their own and joining in on the laughter.

With all of their laughing, Chancellor Stone had arrived looking rather puzzled my their amusement.

"Pardon the interruption, my Lady." Chancellor Stone announced to her; making her presence known.

Sapphire turned her head towards him, taking several deep breaths and trying to calm herself down from her fit of laughter; giving him her attention.

"Your father won't be able to attend dinner tonight, he received a letter from Yakyakistan not too long ago asking for his aid." Chancellor Stone informed her; he himself did not seem too pleased in giving her this news.

Sapphire's smile quickly left her face. That stern expression returning, masking her disappointment, and sadness very well.

"I understand." Princess Sapphire replied nodding her head.

"Your mother is currently taking your father's place in a meeting at the moment, she will be unable to attend dinner either. Floe has elected to eat in his room." Chancellor Stone continued.

Tea could sort of see how difficult this was for Sapphire, she hid it well, but she was very upset at this news. It must have been hard waiting all day to see you parents and being told that she wasn't going to be able to. It seemed like a lonely life.

"If you could have the Kitchen send up something to eat in my room, for me and my guests, I'd appreciate it, Chancellor Stone." Princess Sapphire asked of him.

"Of course, my Lady." Chancellor Stone replied bowing his head to her.

Chancellor Stone walked off towards the staircase leading to the first level, while Sapphire started towards the left of the second floor staircase; Tea, Florence, and Chapel following her.

"You okay, Princess Sapphire? Chapel asked curiously.

"I... had gotten used to seeing my parents more often during my time in the Ashen Fields. It's... difficult to adjust back to the way things were." Princess Sapphire replied honestly.

There was sadness in her voice, but she carried herself in way that really inspired both Florence and Chapel. She was, in a way, a role model for them, a powerful, beautiful, intelligent, and we'll respected mare; something they themselves wanted to be some day.

Tea knew that look very well, the face of somepony hurting, Smolder had it, but now it wasn't just Tea here to be a pony to lean on.

"What size are you?" Tea asked, her question seemingly out of the blue.

"I beg your pardon?" Princess Sapphire asked looking towards her; Chapel and Florence giving her strange looks as well.

"I was just wondering if we could try on some of your clothes." Tea mentioned with the sudden excitement brimming from both Florence and Chapel.

"My clothes?" Princess Sapphire questioned it.

"You must have a like a thousand dresses, and a million pairs of horseshoes! What's your hoof size? Tell me it's a nine!" Chapel stated hopefully.

"You have to be like a size four! Tea's mom makes us eat all those pancakes and we pay for it every summer!" Florence whined, feeling bitter about her size.

"I'm... I'm sure we're close to the same size." Princess Sapphire tried to reassure her.

"We could totally have us a makeover." Tea pitched to them.

"Can I braid your hair? Chapel cut in, jumping at the opportunity to start an impromptu makeover.

"I don't think that my mane would be suitable for such... uh..." Princess Sapphire trailed off having not once tried to _do_ something with her hair.

"I can just shape it, it's pretty much a cloud, so I can just fluff a bit and give it shape." Chapel replied to her; looking over Sapphire's mane a bit.

The three mares walked down the hall trying to explain to Princess Sapphire the finer points of hoof polish and the need to exfoliate her skin. How the right kind of makeup would send certain messages without speaking, and how the eyebrows bring the face all together.

Princess Sapphire could feel her smile coming back, the absence of her father had sadden her, but her guests... her friends were still here for her. It was something she wasn't used to, but knew she wanted to keep.


	35. Chapter 35: A Shadow & Its Flame

I drew a picture of a flame within the black sand, drawing a circle around it, doodling a rather unflattering picture of Mira throwing several things at the circle. I had spent several hours trying to contemplate how to stop an object with fire, and nothing was coming to me; at least nothing practical.

"How can I stop something with fire?" I asked myself again and again.

My first answer was to simply melt it before it was able to reach me. Although, my flames would have to burn so hot that I did not think I could reach such temperatures quickly. The next idea I had was to simply dodge from the rock, but that wasn't what Mira had asked of me. The problem was difficult for me to figure out, having been a Flame Pony all my life I assumed I knew everything there was to fire, but it becoming apparent that I was still discovering its possibilities.

It was easy to flare my mane, throw my fire in every direction, but that was before my magic had started to emerge. With the battle of the Orc, my flames had taken the form of a phoenix, and after my horn had emerged I was able to do it at will. What I wouldn't have given to have Twilight here helping me research this, or even coach me through my magical studies, but Mira had said I wasn't much of a studious pony to begin with. I never went to school in my youth, Wingston had tutored me, but I was on my own now trying to work out how and why my fire acted the way it did.

I pressed my hooves against my head, closing my eyes and trying to think of what I was missing. Fire wasn't a solid, so it couldn't protect me from a rock being thrown my way, but Mira had said that I needed to figure out a way to make it work. It just didn't make any sense to me.

Letting my hooves drop to my sides I hung my head in defeat and sighed. I watched the black sand scatter from my breath. Amused by this, I took another breath, and blew a concentrated stream of air through my pressed lips through the dirt. The sand scattered, the drawing being erased with the shifting sands, and in that moment it had dawned on me.

"Wingston's Fire Breathing for Beginners." I mumbled feeling enlightened.

" _A Flame Ponies power comes from the breath it takes. It breathes life into the flames, makes it stronger, fiercer, and hotter_." Wingston's words began to echo in my mind.

Getting to my hooves I began to realize that I had done this before; several times in fact. For every spider I had pushed aside with a blast of my flames, when I knocked the Orc from the balcony, and even my Flash Step that allowed me to run faster. I just needed to breathe.

My fire surrounded me once again, letting it settle around me as I focused on my breathing. I drew a deep breath, feeling my fire flare powerfully from my body. The air around me began to howl, the dirt on the cave floor was thrown into the air, being swirled around with my flames, and my fir roared violently roaring in its power. The air I breathed filtered through my lungs, but also my flames, the air passing through every pore of my body and fueling my fire. It was the amount of pressure from the air that I threw with my fire that had pushed things, it had propelled me through my Flash Step, and now it could surround me like a small typhoon that would prove difficult to breech.

Mira was taken by surprise by this. Holding up her arms to her face, Mira felt he winds the small typhoon I had created, as well as the heat of my fire. The stone jars upon the table clinked together, shaking from the winds, as one of her stone jars was pulled off the table and sent sailing through the air. I swung around, colliding with my fire dome, and violently be redirected across the room where it shattered.

Having heard the sound of the shattering jar I dropped my flames, the wind died down, the dirt scattering about the edges of the cave while a smoldering ring of fire sizzled around me. I wasn't winded at all, it was very much just a different form of my Flash Step, but I wasn't doing much with it other than directing where the air was flowing. Glancing over towards Mira, I could see the look of surprise and perhaps the hint of amazement with what I had achieved. I couldn't help but smile knowing she would be happy with my results.

"You did it?" Mira asked curiously.

"Didn't you try to throw something at me?" I asked curiously, remembering the crash I heard just moments ago.

Mira floated off to the side of her cave to retrieve the smashed stone jar, as if to show me what I had managed to deflect.

"Try not to break any more of my stuff." Mira mumbled, narrowing her eyes at me.

"But I did it!" I said happily.

"Yeah, I noticed." Mira mentioned tossing the pieces of her broken stone jar over her shoulder; it being beyond repair.

Even though Mira tried to seem indignant towards my accomplishment, she did smirk with satisfaction.

"You picked this one up faster than the others." Mira mentioned to me.

"I remember something Wingston had taught me a long time ago, which helped me also remember how I was able to race against Hotshot for as long as I did." I began to explain with her.

"What's a Hotshot?" Mira asked looking unsure.

"He's… it's not important." I muttered quickly, brushing it aside. "I'm ready for the next lesson."

"You seem… rather eager." Mira said curiously.

"You said you needed me to get stronger, and that's what I'm going to do." I said to her confidently.

Mira pulled on her fingers looking rather anxiously. Everything up until this point was to improve Smolder's proficiency with his fire and magic. To minimize the use of his energy, while maximizing his ability to fight longer and harder, but that's all Mira needed him to learn; she had what she needed now.

"I… could teach you… summoning." Mira offered.

"Summoning? Didn't we already do that?" I asked looking confused.

"This isn't simply bringing an object to you. This is offering your power to enter a temporary contract with a creature or familiar. This technique has many different forms in which you can summon weapons, environments, and potentially summon things from another dimension." Mira explained to me.

I didn't really seem to grasp the idea, and it showed on the unsure look I had. Mira knew that a demonstration was needed, and decided that it would need to a good one to really get her point across. Taking a deep breath, Mira pressed her hands together, her blue stardust like hair began to glow brightly. Dragging one hand upwards while the other down, Mira palms left a thin line of shadow magic. Rotating her arms, drawing a large circle with the thin line of shadow magic, Mira quickly waved about her arms drawing a complicated pattern within the circle.

With a final flourish, Mira's arms were outstretched with a complicated rune drawn out before her, it was similar to the markings I had learned when attempting to summon the rock from previous lessons. With her hands becoming engulfed in black flames, Mira shoved her palms against the seal, causing the runes to spin rapidly before her.

I stepped back in amazement watching the runes glide from the circle, pouring itself out onto the floor before me; it was like watch a glass vase be filled with liquid. Mira seemed to struggle to keep up the effort it took to accomplish this summoning, but the mass of darkness was already beginning to take shape. It was a wolf of massive size, nearly reaching the roof of the cave, it was like a living shadow; it was as if some pony had simply dumped a bucket of black paint upon it.

Lowering her arms, Mira was breathing rather hard from having put a lot of energy into this summoning. The massive wolf stepped towards me, growling menacingly at me, baring its enormous fangs, its fur standing on end.

"It's okay, Rok." Mira reassured it; petting it behind its ear.

I watched the massive wolf begin to relax, sitting down and leaning its head towards Mira; nuzzling her gently. Mira hugged it endearingly.

"It's… huge." I mumbled having never seen a wolf of such size.

Near the wolf's paws the shadows started to fizzle away, black smoke slowly causing the wolf to disappear before them. Mira petted the snout of the wolf a few more times, whispering to it lovingly, before the wolf faded into the smoke all together. I watched Mira linger for a moment, her hand outstretched where the wolf's face had once been.

"Rock… looked really amazing." I said to her.

" _Rok_." Mira corrected me emphasizing the 'o' sound.

"Rok." I repeated.

"You can summon a great many things if you have the power. If you're able to find a creature willing to fight for you, you can make a contract with it, and summon it whenever you need it." Mira explained to me.

"Did you make a contract with Rok?" I asked curiously.

"I had to." Mira whispered, her voice quivering. "Null killed him."

Mira wouldn't turn to face me, wiping her eyes with her arm, refusing to let me see her cry. I could feel my heart aching for her, it was obvious to me now that this wolf had meant a great deal to her.

"It's only an echo, a shadow, but it's all I could do. I didn't have time… there was so much blood..." Mira sobbed trying to force herself to stop crying.

"I'll stop him, Mira. I promise you. I'll stop him." I said trying to give her any sort of comfort.

Mira cleared her throat of her sobbing. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at me with a soft smile.

"First… you'll need to practice this. Lucky for us, there's a snake that you can learn to do a Shadow Summon. It's the only one we can practice right now, but it'll be enough." Mira explained to me.

"I'll be able to summon Apep?" I asked in surprise.

"It won't literally be Apep, but it will be an echo of what it was, and it will obey you without question." Mira stated floating towards the tunnel leading to Azimuth's Tomb.

"Sounds cool." I mumbled following her.

Mira led the way through the tunnel. She had fallen silent for a while, I felt that she was just trying to calm herself from seeing an old friend she had lost. I really wanted to learn this Shadow Summoning, I was beginning to feel that I was really hitting my stride in learning Shadow Magic and I wanted to be ready to face Null when the time came.

We reached the threshold that led out to the extended rock path that led out over the abyss of Azimuth's tomb. The path having been broken in part with our fight with Apep, but it just meant having to walk a shorter ways before floating down into the depths. Mira climbed atop my back, she was still rather quiet, but I didn't want to annoy her with unnecessary chit chat. I leaped over the edge, letting my wings fan out as we glided down into the darkness.

"Smolder…" Mira mumbled after a while of floating through the blackness.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"If… the Orc had taken everything from you… everything you cared about… that bat, your friends, the hussy… would you have killed him _then_?" Mira asked slowly.

I didn't reply right away. I thought back to that day when Wingston and the others had been found beaten within an inch of their lives by the Orc. Remembering the anger I felt for the Orc, that hatred that burned through me, and how I would have liked nothing better than to have seen him burn for what he had done. Even so, I remembered what Mira had shown me, a memory of my past with Wingston teaching me how to breathe fire, and how I had promised to follow his instructions.

"Wingston saw what hate did to ponies. What it did to my father. I'm not saying that I _wouldn't_ have done it if he had taken him… every pony away from me, but I wouldn't have let it change me." I said to her.

I looked over my shoulder to see Mira staring back at me looking rather interested in what I had said.

"Actually, I have you to thank for saving me from… myself. All that rage from the Elder Dragon's fire, all that power, you helped me remember what I am, who I am, and it stopped me from doing something I would have regretted." I explained to her. "So thank you, for helping me keep my promise, Mira."

I could feel Mira's hands grip my shoulders tightly. She lowered her head looking rather ashamed, but I didn't know why.

"You're… so stupid." Mira mumbled.

I smiled at her words; that was something I knew would never change.

Reaching the bottom of the Azimuth's Tomb, we were just a few hundred yards away from the final resting place of Azimuth; Apep's corpse still lying there. I walked in silence, Mira still riding upon my back, having decided to fall silent again. It wasn't too long before we came upon Apep's corpse, it hadn't started to turn or rot, but it looked very ghoulish with its missing eyes.

"Let's get this over with." Mira mumbled; not liking to be near Apep.

Mira slid off my back, floating towards the corpse of Apep just to spit on it once more before turning back to me.

"I'm going to show you how to draw the seal needed to contain a shadow, it is a ritual that takes time to perform and it will need to be done correctly or it won't work at all." Mira instructed me.

"What do I have to do?" I asked her.

"First you'll need to draw the seal. I'll show you how to draw it, but the one performing the ritual is the important part." Mira explained to me.

Mira floated beside me, tracing her finger through the sand, drawing out the seal, explaining to me the importance of each line and how even a single mistake could have catastrophic results. After having drawn the circle, to the perfection that Mira said was required she positioned my behind the seal. She floated over to the corpse of Apep, slicing off a scale with her magic, before floating near its opened mouth and reaching inside of it. I watched Mira viciously rip Apep's tongue from its mouth, the squelching sound was vomit inducing, but the soft wet slap of the tongue whipping around in hand sounded like a wet rag.

Place the scale in a specific spot on the seal, Mira gripped Apep's tongue tightly squeezing whatever blood she could from it that trickled through the grooves of the seal. Lay laying the tongue within the seal, Mira flicked her hands clean of the slime and blood residue they had before nodding her head in approval.

"I'm… I'm not going to have to eat that… am I?" I asked looking very grossed out.

"No… stupid." Mira mumbled rolling her eyes.

"Oh thank Celestia." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Apep was powerful creature; you're not creating a contract with it so much as you are trying to contain it. It's a memory, an echo, of what it used to be, and _you'll_ need to be strong enough to contain it. Whatever Apep was is gone now, so you'll be facing the raw power of a giant snake, so don't take it personally." Mira explained to me.

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" I asked sounding confused.

"You'll burn Apep's body with your fire, stating that you command Apep's shadow to serve you, and once you begin the ritual your fire will burn away the physical form releasing its shadow. It will be drawn into the seal in which your magic will be tested, if you are too weak to control it, you will release a shadow spirit of Apep into this world, but if you are able to conquer it, you will be able to summon it whenever you need it." Mira started to explain to me.

"How exactly am I to be tested?" I asked finding this to be a little too straight forward.

"It's sort of like trying to keep a scared little mouse inside of a circle with only your hooves to block him from escaping. Although, you're using your magic to contain a hundred and sixty foot snake in a small circle." Mira said trying to explain it in a way I understood.

"Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief.

"That's why there's the preparation phase. You just need to focus on your magic, using your fire to fuel it, create a barrier like you did before that keeps it from escaping and it will be yours. Just take as much time as you need, when you're ready, set Apep's corpse ablaze, and command it to serve you." Mira reassured me.

I took a deep breath. I'm sure that all of this training I've been doing was leading up to something like this, and now was going to be the test if everything I've learned would pay off. I'm not sure if a giant snake was going to be useful against Null, but it would prove to me if I was progressing as well as I had hoped. I closed my eyes, flaring my flames a bit, focusing on my magic, trying to prepare myself for this ritual.

Mira had floated behind Smolder. This summoning was the next step in his training, but it wouldn't increase power anymore. He had reached his current limit, all that was left was to refine his skills, but Mira didn't need that. All she needed was the raw power of a Flame Pony. With Smolder focusing all of his power for this ritual, it would be the perfect time for her to steal his light, drain him of all his fire, and face Null once last time.

Mira was having a hard time bringing herself to do it. Her arms shook as she slowly began to raise them to Smolder, guilt poisoning her heart, and disgust in herself turning her stomach. Taking short shallow breaths, Mira had her arms raised out to Smolder, his flames whipping around before her. Bearing her teeth down hard, Mira's anger rising as her feelings once more getting in the way as they had before; cursing herself under her breath.

"I _really_ didn't deserve a friend like you." Mira whispered to herself.

Smolder's fire whipped towards Mira's hands, the markings upon her arm growing brightly, and her hair shining brightly. Mira could see Smolder slouching forward, trying to flare his flame more, but only providing Mira with more power.

" _Mira, please stop!"_ Glow shouted.

Mira whipped around, pulling her hands in close to her chest, looking about the darkness in fear of Glow's voice. There wasn't any pony to be seen, nothing but the blackness of the abyss. Her heart was racing, out of both fear and surprise, but she _knew_ what she heard; she knew.

"I'm not… I'm not feeling so hot." I said aloud rubbing my head.

I turned to look at Mira. She was staring at me with such fear, tears rolling off her face, looking very guilty about something. I stepped towards her, but I watched her recoil away.

"Mira?" I asked looking confused.

"I'm sorry…" Mira whispered, beginning to shake all over.

"For what?" I asked taking another step forward; Mira floating away again.

"It was me… I got her killed." Mira whispered through her sobs.

"Who?" I asked sounding concerned.

"I tried to fight Null, to save my friend, but I failed. Your mom… came to save me… and I left her there to die while we escaped." Mira wept, hugging herself.

"Mira-" I began feeling very confused.

"It's all my fault. I should never have asked to come here. Never. She said you'd be a sad pony, I could feel how lonely you were; I didn't think anyone would come for you." Mira continued to cry covering her face.

I could see Mira coming undone right before me, and I all I could think was how I could help put her back together.

"I'm so sorry, Smolder. I-"Mira stopped short.

My arm was around her, having pulled her close to me, hugging her tightly with my wing draped over her. I felt her clutching me, sobbing into my shoulder; I held her tighter.

"Whatever happened… whatever you blame yourself for… whatever you've done I forgive you. I forgive you, Mira." I whispered to her.

We sat there in the dark, Mira's sobbing mixed with the soft crackle of my flames. Mira felt responsible for what happened to my mother, that her having gone to save her was the reason for her death. I couldn't believe Mira would feel guilty about that, that she felt I would have been angry or upset that she had lived instead of my mother. I was more proud than anything else to know that my mother chose to save a life, then to have walked away and let someone suffer; especially one who had suffered so much already.

"Mira, listen I-" I began when I felt my strength leaving me again.

I fell forward, my body becoming numb with Mira's hands gently pressed against my face. Her face was full of tears, softly smiling at me, her markings and her hair glowing intensely from the power she was taking from me.

"Thank you, Smolder." Mira whispered to me.

She removed her hands from my face. I could barely move, but she had not taken all of my power from me. Mira sat with me for a while, stroking the side of my face endearingly.

"You're so much like your mother. She loved you so much, and because me… you never get meet her." Mira said to me.

"…Mira…" I whispered feeling exhausted.

"I've lived too long, but that won't be a problem for much longer." Mira said with a smile. "This is goodbye, Smolder. Your friends will find you, eventually. Go back to your Kingdom, go back to your friends, become the pony you were meant to be, destroy the Obelisks, and never look back."

Mira floated away from me. I tried to move, but I could barely keep my eyes open.

"…please…" I whispered trying to move.

"Thank you for saving me, Smolder. I won't die a monster now. I'll die protecting my friend." Mira said with a smile. "I'll tell your mom all about you."

My vision was being to blur, I could see the glow of Mira's blue stardust like hair floating higher and higher. I hadn't felt this weak since the battle with the Elder Dragon. It would take at least a day for me to recover enough to escape this place, but by then it would be too late. Darkness took me, my flames barely flickering upon my mane, and hoped for miracle to happen.

Mira floated back through the tunnel leading into her cave. The power she had taken from Smolder had given her strength she had not felt in countless millennia, if she had taken anymore, she would have had a chance of beating Null, but this was going to be enough.

Reaching the table with all of her stone jars, Mira took several and began to prepare a brew. Mixing in the eye jelly, the fangs, and even the venom sack of Apep, the concoction bubbled and hissed within the jar. Taking the half feather of Hoopoe, Mira had saved from Smolder's smaller size; she laid it out on her table before pouring the venomous brew over it. The feather started to crinkle in on itself, the venom hissing angrily, as it bled into the feather and coated it with its goo. It was long before the feather had melted into a blob upon the table, bubbling sickeningly, and hardening in the open air.

Mira picked up the hardening blob, biting into it, forcing herself to eat it. She choked down the last few bites, gagging at the taste, before clutching her chest from the burning pain she felt within her. The poison of Apep was inside her now, but mixed with the feather, Mira had been able to appropriately self-antidote herself with its healing properties. It was to be her trump card, whatever light Null would try to tear from her body would be met with the venomous sting of Apep's poison.

Taking one last look back down towards the tunnel of Azimuth's Tomb, Mira smiled to herself. Floating towards the tunnel that would lead to the entrance of her cave, Mira knew that she would never return to this place, and she was content with that.

"Goodbye, stupid." Mira whispered.

* * *

Down in the dark abyss of Azimuth's Tomb, Smolder's wavering flames danced in the darkness. The sound of shifting sand could be heard echoing in the silence, coming closer and closer to unconscious Smolder.

"I don't believe it." A voice whispered in the darkness.

Two flames casting light, burning modestly, grew closer. Fire flowed from their manes, hooves, and tails. They were completely identical, both in color of their flames and their looks; twins.

"Is it really him?" Wick asked in disbelief.

Pyre knelt beside Smolder, checking him for injury, a smile forming on his face as looked back towards his brother.

"It's him." Pyre said grinning.

Wick quickly stepped towards the unconscious Smolder, looking him over himself, amazed at what he was seeing.

"He doesn't seem to be hurt." Wick stated conclusively.

"Judging by his flame he's just worn out." Pyre deduced.

"What exactly was he trying to do?" Wick asked looking at the seal in the sand and the bloodied tongue and scale that rested upon it.

"One could only guess, but it appears our little brother has gotten himself a horn and is capable of magic now" Pyre pointed out.

"Oooooooof course he's got a horn." Wick said rolling his eyes.

"Help me get him up, brother dear; we can't linger for too long." Pyre instructed him.

Wick helped to put Smolder upon Pyre's back. Pyre stood up looking a bit strained while doing so.

"He's gotten bigger, hasn't he?" Wick asked with an amused smile.

"The better question is _why_ he is here?" Pyre corrected him; starting to walk off again.

"It might have something to do with the dragon that was pulled in some time ago." Wick replied walking beside Pyre.

"If that's the case where has he been all this time?" Pyre asked curiously looking towards him.

"Hiding, perhaps? Just like us." Wick offered.

"In any case, we'll need to restore his strength so that he may tell us himself." Pyre stated.

"I'm sure father will be surprised to see him again." Wick said with a smirk.

Wick and Pyre continued to speak among themselves while the unconscious Smolder was along for the ride. Once more the sons of the Mad King were reunited, in a tomb of an Eternal Master, at the bottom of an abyss, and one of them wasn't even conscious to realize it as their flames faded into the darkness.


	36. Chapter 36: Titles and Deeds

Night had fallen on the Kingdom of Ice Ponies. The temperature had fallen to below freezing rather quickly, the howling of the winds swirling powdered snow through the air, while a single flame hurried over the ice bridge connecting to the Noble Cliffside. Warrick Hearth, Coal's son, was rushing home as fast as he could to see his fabled uncle to which he was named after.

The stories his father had told him in his youth, about the battles, the adventures, the victories his uncle had achieved had inspired him on to be a Soldier Pony; never believing to have the opportunity to see him face to face. It was believed by his family that General Hearth had died during the Mad King's war, and without contact with the Ashen Fields, no pony ever questioned it.

Warrick had been born in the Frozen North, he knew the cold from the moment he was brought into this world, and how unforgiving it could be. The freezing temperatures had once pained him, the cold biting at his hide, but it only made him fight harder; his strength growing along with his flames. Becoming a Soldier Pony was to bring honor to his family, to honor the House of Sleet, and carry on the legacy that his uncle had left behind.

Reaching the large marble doors, that carried the giant platinum seal of runes marking the House of Sleet, Warrick rapped upon the doors waiting for Kirk to open up. Sure enough, the gate opened to him, Kirk waiting just inside.

"Lord Warrick, your home an hour early." Kirk stated.

"Lady Frost told me that my uncle is here, General Warrick Hearth of the Ashen Fields." Warrick replied looking for some confirmation.

"Indeed, sir, he is currently speaking with your father at the staging area." Kirk informed him.

* * *

Coal and Hearth sat together on the stone platform staring out over the frozen hillside. It was bedtime for the young Henrik, Samson, and Lily; their mothers putting them to bed. Tinder and Drake elected to stay behind, to assist with the preparations of the feast the Sleet family was preparing in General Hearth's honor; giving Coal a chance to speak to his brother alone.

It was no secret that Coal and Hearth had never seen eye to eye about anything. Hearth was their father's favorite, his eldest son, the heir to his legacy, and the Commander of the King's army. Coal knew that Hearth never wanted the life of a Soldier, but their father pushed him to do so. So when the time came to escape from the Mad King's wrath, after the death of their father and the destruction of their home, Coal couldn't believe that his older brother had chosen to stay.

"Warrick..." Coal began sounding troubled.

Hearth turned to him, letting him continue, knowing that whatever he was going to say was years of unresolved feelings towards him.

"What... I said to you... when you refused to come with us... I was angry and..." Coal said slowly.

"I don't remember what you had said." Hearth cut in.

"Don't lie to me. it was the last time we spoke to one another." Coal replied quickly; not wanting to avoid the conversation.

"How long _did_ it take you to reach the Frozen North?" Hearth asked curiously; steering the conversation once more.

"I... I say about... nearly a month?" Coal replied thinking back on it. "But that's not what I wanted to-"

"It took me nearly two years to finally hear that you had made it to the Frozen North, safe and sound." Hearth stated with a smile. "I have my friend Argo to thank for that information."

Coal didn't really know what to say, it seemed like Hearth was building up to something.

"In those two years, I didn't think about what you had said to me, and I wasn't all that worried about you not reaching the North." Hearth continued. "Because I knew you would protect them, that you would make sure that they got there safely, and when you did reach the North, you'd be there to support them."

Coal took a deep breath; feeling himself beginning to turn emotional. In his youth, his jealousy of his older brother, the attention his father had given him, had burdened Coal with the need to prove his worth to them; wanting nothing more than to be recognized. As he grew older, with the North's cold cooling his jealousy, he began to realize his mistake in judging his brother. For Coal had become the eldest of his house when reaching the North, having to make decisions on behalf of his house, be the figure head of the family, his actions shaping the way ponies looked upon their house. It was all things their father had required Hearth to do, and it was clear that such a life was not one any pony willingly chose.

"It's only been half a day and I'm still being lectured by my older brother; it really feels like nothing has changed." Coal said with a chuckle.

"Father would have been proud of you, Coal. For everything you did, and everything you done here in the North. I'm proud of you, and that has never changed." Hearth said quietly; placing his hoof upon his shoulder.

There was a sudden sound of snow being crushed under hoof. Kirk Summerland escorted Warrick up to the stone stage where Coal looked surprised to see him.

"Good evening, father." Warrick said aloud; although his eyes seemed to be focused upon the unfamiliar pony beside him.

"Warrick, I wasn't expecting you home until dinner." Coal stated looking surprised.

Getting to his hooves, Coal moved towards the stairs to greet his son.

"Lady Summer should be arriving on time as usual, Lord Coal." Kirk informed him.

"Yes, thank you, Kirk." Coal said nodding his head to him.

Kirk bowed his head before heading back towards the house. Coal gave his son a one armed hug, Warrick doing the same. General Hearth climbed down the steps of the stage amused by how certain features of Coal's son reflected a younger version of himself. Coal quickly stepped aside, standing beside his son, ready to provide introductions.

"Allow me to introduce my son, Warrick Jericho Hearth, a Captain of the Royal Guard, champion of the Wendigo, and hero of the Shattered Bluff." Coal introduced him.

Warrick felt his titles paled in comparison to his uncle, knowing that there would be a long list of titles and honors that would precede him. Coal placed his hoof upon his shoulder, smiling at him.

"Warrick, this is my older brother, General Warrick Hearth, your Uncle." Coal referred simply.

"Retired." Hearth stated.

"General, it is truly unbelievable that I am able to meet you. I'm sure father has under sold your achievements for the sake of time, but rest assured that he was spoken volumes of your heroic deeds." Warrick said excitedly, shaking Hearth's hoof.

"Did he ever tell you how he dented your grandfather's suit of armor?" Hearth asked curiously looking towards Coal who seemed to suddenly remember this particular embarrassing part of his life.

"You dented grandfather's armor?" Warrick asked curiously, smiling at his father.

"It was hardly a ding within the metal, it was hardly noticeable." Coal said trying to down play it.

"Your father begged me to distract your grandfather long enough to have it fixed before he found out what had happened." Hearth continued, amused that he could play the embarrassing uncle.

"What did you do, father? Did you wear it out on patrol without grandfather knowing?" Warrick asked sounding interested.

"The important thing is that I got it fixed, and our father was none the wiser." Coal stated, looking rather flustered.

"I told him that I would help him only if he told me how it had gotten damaged in the first place." Hearth informed him.

"Was it a fight with an Owlbear? Or perhaps a Bugbear?" Warrick asked curiously.

"Nothing quite so heroic, for you see our father's trophy room was nothing more than a shrine; something our father would come to look at from time to time. It was also the perfect place to be alone and have no pony bother you." Hearth started to explain to him.

"Hearth, why are doing this to me?" Coal asked looking rather miserable.

"I still don't see how the armor was damaged." Warrick said looking unclear.

"I had- well-" Coal cut in quickly, but found himself struggling to put words together.

"You could always ask your mother, I'm sure she remembers this story quite clearly." Hearth said amusingly.

"Mother?" Warrick asked curiously.

A light went on in Warrick's head. The sudden flare of his father's mane, his flustered look, Hearth laughing at his uncomfortableness, it all made sense to him now.

"Were you and mother-" Warrick began.

"If you breathe a word of this to your mother she'll have all three of us killed!" Coal hissed cutting him short.

"Honestly, I don't remember if they simply knocked it over or if Coal was wearing it, but-" Hearth began again, but was suddenly grabbed by Coal who wrestled him to the ground trying to keep him quiet.

Warrick laughed to himself. His father was always so stern, only ever showing his softer side on rare occasions, and there had always been a sense of regret that lingered with him. Watching his father attempt to bury his uncle Hearth in the snow, he could see a very different side of his father, and how much he cared for his older brother.

"Having fun, dear?" Scoria asked aloud from the threshold of the large houses backdoor.

Coal perked up quickly. Hearth was rising back to his hooves, snow melting from his head, still chuckling to himself.

"Is there something you needed, Scoria darling?" Coal shouted back to her.

"Your soldiers in training are demanding a bedtime story." Scoria told him aloud.

Coal nodded his head in understanding. Turning to his son, Coal gave him a quick nod before turning to Hearth who was already hugging him.

"I'll see you at dinner." Coal said to him.

Coal stepped away from them. Heading back towards the house where Scoria waited for him. Warrick could see his mother waving to him, he in turn waved back nodding his head to her.

"So father and mother dented grandfather's armor?" Warrick asked looking amused.

"I'm sworn secrecy, your mother told me never to tell what had happened." Hearth replied with a smile.

Warrick really didn't know what he was expecting when he would meet his uncle, he imagined him to a much harder pony then his father, more rigid, and unfeeling. Yet, this pony that had fought for forty years of his life as Soldier, seemed so calm, and complacent.

"You're a Captain in the Royal Guard then, are you?" Hearth asked, giving his nephew a chance to speak of himself.

"Yes, sir. I've been in the service of the Kingdom for nearly six years now." Warrick said promptly.

"I'm not a General anymore. I'm your uncle." Hearth said reassuringly.

"Are the stories my father told me about all of your great deeds true?" Warrick asked sounding very interested.

"I guess it really depends on what he told you." Hearth replied.

"There were so many, I can't really choose just one." Warrick replied honestly.

"Has your father ever told you of the great deeds he's done?" Hearth asked curiously.

"My father claims to have never done much when compared to you. I do see him as honorable pony and a personal hero of mine, but our family name rests solely on your achievements." Warrick answered sounding proud.

"My achievements?" Hearth asked with a scoff.

"It is… difficult _not_ view the 'Hero of Black Winter' as the most accomplished member of our family." Warrick informed him, trying to word his thoughts correctly.

"When I was the General of King Scorch's army, before he went mad, I left my daughter alone for several days at a time. The Kingdom needed me, the soldiers, the patrols, the defense, the spiders that crawled from the caves, the meetings, the slate work, but I was so determined to never have another Black Winter." Hearth began sounding very solemn when he spoke.

Warrick knew this story well. Of how his aunt was one of the casualties of Black Winter, how his heroics during that battle had earned him the title of General, and how it was the only time his father had seen his older brother cry.

"On days that I did see her, she wouldn't really talk to me, I knew she was angry, and it pained knowing I'd hurt her again when I'd leave her again." Hearth said sadly.

"I'm sure my cousin now understands the reasons of what you had to do." Warrick said, trying to sound comforting.

"It was only until she was to be married to one of my soldiers that she opened up to me. She wanted me to know that she didn't hate me, that she now understood why I had to be gone all those times, and who had helped her through those times." Hearth mumbled, his voice breaking.

Warrick could feel his own heart aching for his uncle.

"She told me her uncle, your father, would come see her every day I wasn't able to. He would come early in the morning to be there when she woke, to make her breakfast, make her lunch, and send her to school. He was there when she got home, he would ask her about her day, make her dinner, and put her to bed with stories of the 'great deeds' I had done for the Kingdom. He did that every day until she graduated from school, by then she was old enough to be on her own, but he still came to see her every day just to make sure." Hearth said in quiet surprise.

Warrick looked towards the house, knowing his father was telling his younger cousins the same bedtime stories he had told him. Possibly the same ones he had told his older cousin all those years ago.

"Your father never once mentioned it. My daughter believed that I had _asked_ him to do it. I had no idea." Hearth said shaking his head in disbelief.

"He knew you were doing your duty, and tried to help the best he could." Warrick stated; getting a forced laugh from his uncle.

"General Warrick Hearth, pride of his family, leader of the armies of the Ashen Fields, hero of Black Winter, of the Last Orc's Final Move, the savior of the Dark Years; it's nothing but yak spit." Hearth mumbled bitterly.

"Those are incredible achievements." Warrick insisted.

"The only pony who is worthy of being considered incredible is your father for being there for my little girl. For taking care of her when I could not, being a father when I couldn't, being her savior and hero when I failed to be. It's why he bears the symbol of our house, and it's the reason you carry it too. Hearth is the symbol of one's home, it represents family, and _your_ father saved _ours_." Hearth stated proudly.

Warrick was surprised to be hearing this. Believing that he would be hearing the exploits of his uncle's youthful adventures, only to have learned something about his father he had never known, and how much his 'famous' uncle cared little of his own exploits.

"I've… not done anything that would be considered as noble a deed then what my father has done. I can hardly say that anything I _have_ done can be measured up to you either." Warrick stated looking rather disappointed.

"You are to be married soon, Warrick?" Hearth asked with a curious smile.

"Y-Y-Yes, to Lord Sleet's daughter Wendy Sleet." Warrick said quickly, surprised that he knew.

"The greatest deed a colt can do is love his family. I learned that from your father, and I believe you will follow in his hoofsteps to become a very honorable colt." Hearth said in a matter of fact tone.

"It's going to be rather difficult; I don't have any wings and my father can fly." Warrick replied jokingly.

"Yeah, I was… always jealous of your father's wings." Hearth admitted with a grumble.

"Father had mentioned that on one or more occasion." Warrick replied with a smirk.

"I mean, _I've_ got a feather in my cutie mark, and no wings. Why even bother?" Hearth asked looking rather disappointed.

"I'm glad that I've gotten this chance to be able to speak with you, Uncle Hearth. I feel that I've known you for so long, and I am happy to say that I'm honored to be named to after you." Warrick said appreciatively.

"That's kind of you to say. Unfortunately, you've got your father's looks so whoever this Wendy is, is either attracted to misshapen faces or just feels sorry for you." Hearth said with a smile.

Warrick stared at his uncle in disbelief and surprise; not expecting him to throw jabs his way.

"I'll have you know I take after my _mother_." Warrick informed him.

"Well don't tell your mother I said that, I'd like to make to dinner." Hearth replied heading towards the back door of the house.

"Did you know my mother at all, before they left for the North?" Warrick asked curiously, following him.

"Scoria never liked me. She _loved_ Coal. Whenever Coal and I got into arguments she would always be there to take his side; taking the time to explain to me how 'wrong' I was. I knew she loved him, which was enough for me to know that she would take care of Coal and keep him in line when I could not. Aside from that, your mother never really liked me." Hearth explained to him.

"Mother has always been determined; she accomplished whatever she set her mind to. This is why I feel that I have gotten to be where I am today. It's also helped me focus on my dream to become the General of the Frozen North; much like you did in the Ashen Fields." Warrick told him beginning to follow.

"Well you've got a lot of catching up to do because my granddaughter is _already_ the General of the Ashen Fields." Hearth replied with a smirk.

"Your granddaughter is a-a-a-a-a G-G-G-General?" Warrick stammered in shock; freezing up on the spot.

"She must be a year or two younger then you, but I'm sure you'll catch up." Hearth told him reassuringly.

"H-H-How did she get to such a position? Especially at her age? It's practically unheard of." Warrick asked in disbelief.

"Well that's a _really_ long story, but all began when the young Prince Smolder left to steal the Elements of Harmony." Hearth began to reminisce.

"The Prince did what?" Warrick asked becoming enthralled with the story.

* * *

Within a lavish corridor within Castle Fjord, draped with flowing banners that hanged from the ceiling depicting the the cutie marks of past Ice Pony Royalty, busts made from ice sculpted to depict the ponies that carried them were perched upon stands beneath each banner, and giant hoof painted portraits of each passed family member adorned the walls behind it. Princess Sapphire made idle chit chat about each of her ancestors, glossing quickly over their achievements, before reaching two familiar portraits with banner and bust of their own.

"This is mother and father's place. The current Lord and Lady of the Kingdom of Ice Ponies." Princess Sapphire explained briefly.

There was a collective 'ooo' that followed from Tea, Florence, and Chapel at the level of detail put into the ice sculpted busts. The portraits of Lord Tundra and Lady Frost were separate from one another, hung side by side to reference the union of the two, but each depicted a different sort of personality. Lord Tundra's was a full portrait, from head to hoof, wings extended, revealing the broadness of his size. The background was a barren tundra of snow and ice that had no other reference for the eye to connect with other the painted eyes of Lord Tundra towering before them. It was to invoke such a feeling of submissiveness in the beholder, to show that the Lord of Ice and Snow was without equal on such a field.

Lady Frosts's portrait depicted a much more humbling sort of scenery. Once more a full portrait of Lady Frost, although seated among hundreds of frozen flowers, her wings feathered with light of the sun bringing a warmth to the painting. It seemed very inviting, as if the painting encouraged the approach to her. It was clearly stylistically designed to show the two polar opposites of each ruler, of how one depicted compassion, reverence, and wisdom, while the other displayed power, superiority, and dominance.

"Do you have a portrait of your own, Princess Sapphire?" Chapel asked curiously.

"Well... um..." Princess Sapphire mumbled flushing slightly at the question.

Stepping a few steps to the side of her mother's portrait the walls were bare of any portrait beyond her. There was a stand empty of the bust, and high overhead was a banner depicting her own cutie mark.

"Where is it?" Florence asked looking at the blank wall.

"Traditionally, it is when a Prince or Princess are wed that these sort of things take place. There are some circumstances where the portrait is done earlier, but I have put off having mine done for some time now." Princess Sapphire explained rather sheepishly.

"Why?" Tea asked.

"Well..." Princess Sapphire mumbled uncomfortably. "When I was arranged to marry, Smolder... the Royal Painter insisted I have my portrait done, but I wasn't willing to go through with it."

"Because you didn't want to marry him?" Chapel asked.

"The... the... portraits are meant to depict the personality, the achievements, presence of each Royal Family member. Father's portrait is one of pride, strength, and resilience, while mother's is that of beauty, nurture, and love. I haven't... found... myself yet." Princess Sapphire tried to explain her reasoning to them.

"What are you saying?" Tea asked sounding sympathetic.

"I've always been a 'Princess' but I've never really 'done' anything other than what I was told to do. Mother and Father spent years together, discovering their passions and strengths; being defined through such things." Princess Sapphire explained to them as they walked on.

"While you were just going through the motions?" Florence asked, guessing at her hesitation to the portrait.

"Yes! I want to _do_ something with my life before some pony decides that its over." Princess Sapphire stated.

"Well you've still got plenty of time to do things." Chapel reassured her.

"Yes, well, when you're a Princess that has just been recently dumped by a suitable Prince, you can imagine the outpouring of sympathy that comes from every Noble colt imaginable." Princess Sapphire groaned at the attention she would be getting.

It wasn't much more of a walk before Sapphire turned left at the end of the corridor where two large marble doors, spliced with crystals stood before them.

"This is my room." Princess Sapphire announced, flushing slightly. "I... I don't normally have company over, but I hope that it will be to your liking."

Princess Sapphire's horn began to glow, the doors opening to them. The sheer size of her room was something to be marveled at, it could have easily fit Tea's apartment at least three times over, and still have space. There was an enormous chandelier that hung from the center of her room, adorned with hundreds of gems and jewels that spotted the ceiling with their colors from the light of the fireplace that burned generously. The fireplace itself was tall enough to step into, the mantle carried several accommodations, awards, and plaques of her achievements in the Frozen North's Academy and the Royal Army. The room was filled with furniture, even its own dining table with no less then twelve chairs all gilded in crystals. Her bed had dozens of pillows, her mattress was that of a Yakistan King, with a classic Princess Canopy of white silk that draped down from the high ceiling to ripple like water across her Savannah Cotton sheets.

There was so much more to her room, from a CEO pony's desk, to centuries old dressers that were brimmed with one of a kind dresses commissioned in her honor, but there seemed to be a quaint nightstand near her bed that seemed rather cluttered with things that Princess Sapphire most likely concerned herself with. Florence and Chapel had forgotten everything they ever learned about being humbled, racing off into her room to marvel at the fact that they stood within a real Princess's bedroom. Princess Sapphire didn't seem to mind, she crossed her large room to the over-sized desk that had a mound of unopened letters waiting for her and busied herself with sorting them. Tea was rather blown away by the luxury that Sapphire was privileged with, but found herself wandering towards the nightstand to pry a bit further.

Upon further inspection, Tea found a silver picture frame that held a picture of Sapphire and her parents together; she was just a filly when it was taken. There were was a lot of junk cluttering the tabletop, everything from crumbled up pieces of parchment, bits of makeup, a few books, a piggy bank in the shape of a chicken, a couple of cups of old stale water, and what appeared to be a diary. Tea's eyes narrowed at the diary, looking over her shoulder from the corner of her eyes to see where Sapphire was, she glanced back at the book trying not to look interested.

"Oops." Tea said almost robotic; purposely knocking the diary off the nightstand. "I will get it."

Quickly crouching down, Tea found the diary had fallen open upside down. Taking it, she flipped it over to whatever page it had landed on, and glanced over the pages.

 _Dad's never home anymore, those stupid Yak's are always wanting to roughhouse during their bi-annual 'Stomping of the Snow' festival that lasts for two weeks. Two weeks! Mother is always busy doing all the work while he's gone. Chancellor Stone is always keeping tabs on me, making sure I don't skip class, or eat anything unhealthy. Every pony keeps asking me for things, tell Father this, ask Mother this, remind Father about the contract, inform Mother of the meeting._

Tea looked up at the top of the diary to see that the date was nearly ten years ago. It didn't seem like Princess Sapphire was all that happy being a Princess, but from the way she carried herself now it seemed like she learned to hide it very well. Flipping some pages forward, Tea noticed that there were several blank pages that followed rather quickly. It seemed that Princess Sapphire didn't keep a constant record in her entries. Tea flipped a few pages back to see that the date was a bit more recent, being only five years prior.

 _I got to see Father today. He told every pony he came down with the flu just to be with me. Mother didn't approve, she wanted to be here as well, but she was forced to cover for Father. We spent all day sculpting together. I've been practicing everyday so I can show him how much better I've gotten. I sculpted him my first real figurine of Mother, he loved it so much that he asked if I would sculpt him one of himself. Father never calls me Princess, he never speaks to me formally, unless we're in front of Nobles, he calls me Snowflake and I love him for it. I promised him I would sculpt him a figurine of every pony in the castle, so we could eventually sculpt Castle Fjord together and have every pony where they normally would be._

Snapping the diary shut, Tea smiled to herself, knowing what it meant to have ones father around to dote upon you. Truthfully, Tea was looking for something about Sapphire's first impression upon hearing she was to be married to Smolder, but ended up taking a small glimpse into the sort of life she had growing up. Tea strolled away from the nightstand, having not been caught by any pony, as she approached Sapphire who was still sorting letters on her desk.

"Backlogged?" Tea asked with a half smile.

"You could say as much." Princess Sapphire sighed looking annoyed with the letters. "A letter from the young colt mare from House Powder, another letter from the colt of House Chill, a couple of decrees that Mother has left for me to read and make an informed decision on, and the rest are basically more colts looking for the chance to meet with me."

"Can I read one?" Tea asked curiously looking at the rather generous pile of 'love' letters.

"Why would you want to-" Princess Sapphire began, but Tea had already tore open the envelope.

" _To my Frozen Juniper Berry_ ," Tea read aloud already starting to laugh.

"Who's a Juniper Berry?" Florence asked aloud from the other side of the room.

Chapel and Florence had both been trying on some of Princess Sapphire's dresses having overheard Tea.

"This is completely disrespectful to the colt that wrote such things in confidence that-" Princess Sapphire started once again, flushing at the term Juniper Berry.

Trying to reach for the letter, Tea was quick to move out of her reach and continued to read the letter aloud.

" _A fortnight ago I stared upon the waxing moon, being reminded of your misty mane, tasting the sweet nectar of juniper berry juice from my cup, wishing it were thy own lips to which I could drink in the savory flavor of your ravishing beauty._ " Tea read on with the biggest smile upon her face.

"Princess Sapphire!" Chapel exclaimed in surprise and intrigue.

"What did you do to that poor colt's heart?" Florence asked eyeing her suspiciously.

"That is none of your concern! I demand that you stop reading that letter at once!" Princess Sapphire shouted flushing furiously; trying to get by Florence and Chapel who acted as buffer for Tea to get away again.

" _I lay awake for days at a time, longing for your sweet words to grace my lonely ears once again. Your very words shook the very foundations of my soul. I only wish to feel the warmth of your breath upon my neck again, as you leaned close to ask me, 'Pass the salt' when we dined together-_ Sweet Celestia! Pass the salt? That's what you said to him?" Tea exclaimed in a fit of laughter.

At this point, both Florence and Chapel were doubled over in a fit of giggles at the idea of Princess Sapphire innocently asking a Noble Colt to pass the salt and how flustered he must have been to have experienced such a 'steamy' request. Princess Sapphire's face burned a deep purple, her embarrassment having hit an all time high, unable to form words to suit the rage she was feeling for them. Looking about her room, she looked for something to throw, the dining room table was too much, as well as any blunt instrument, feeling the the price of repairing such antiques didn't justify her humiliation.

Tea, Chapel, and Florence were suddenly pelted by several dozen pillows knocking them flat to the ground. The letter from Tea's hoof was thrown upward, Princess Sapphire's magic quickly taking hold of it and folding it back into its envelope.

"This was a complete breach of a pony's personal and private message for the intention of poor jesting and-" Once more Princess Sapphire was cut short with the sudden thud of three pillows striking the side of her head.

Turning to face them, Princess Sapphire could see Tea, Chapel and Florence taking cover behind turned over three hundred year old wooden coffee table, armed with several stacks of pillows.

"That coffee table is an antique and should not-" Princess Sapphire began before a well thrown pillow nailed her in the face.

A sudden swell of magic erupted from Princess Sapphire's horn, the pillows around her began to levitate, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Throw down your arms or be mercilessly beaten with the soft fluffy texture of my goose feathered pillows." Princess Sapphire commanded them.

"Go jump through a hoop, Princess Juniper Berry!" Tea cried in excited anticipation.

There was a sudden flurry of pillows being thrown at one another, feathers flying in all directions, and the unbridled shrieks and screams of their laughter that followed.


	37. Chapter 37: A Bleak Summer

Summer Hearth, daughter of Coal and Scoria Hearth, and younger sister to Warrick, was a unicorn pony and part of the Royal Guard assigned to protect the King and Queen, but was given the prestigious position of protecting Princess Sapphire. Her duties included escorting the Princess on trips to the Artic Bluff and the Noble Cliffside, she was to be present during most meetings, and would accompany her whenever she left the Kingdom of the Frozen North. The position wasn't as glamorous as some Royal Knights strived for, but it was one that Summer pounced upon when given the offer. At some point, Princess Sapphire would become Queen, which meant that Summer would become the Commander of the Royal Guard, a position that would have earned from years of loyal service, but it wasn't the reason Summer had for taking it.

Walking the length of the corridor leading to the barracks, Summer looked worn out, having just returned from a three day mission from the Frozen Sea. A group of penguins had gotten turned around in a blizzard before finding themselves at the doors of Castle Fjord looking for help. Since having 'lost' Princess Sapphire, Summer offered her service to escorting the group of penguins the hundred miles back to the Frozen Sea,a whole three day journey, to make up for her carelessness. It was about two weeks ago when Summer had entered Princess Sapphire's Royal Chamber to wake her and start the day, only to find the room without a Princess. Informing the King and Queen of her disappearance, neither Lord Tundra nor Lady Frost seemed too concerned over it, but Summer took it very personally.

Summer entered the barracks, dozens of other Royal Guards were already getting ready to leave while the Night Watch were suiting up for their shift. There were some friendly hellos that were tossed her way, a few welcomes, but Summer wasn't in the mood to talk. Reaching the Mare's Locker room, it was rather empty for the most part, there weren't many mares that chose the life of a Solider Pony, but it was always Summer's dream to be one. Her mother Scoria tried to make wear frilly dresses, to act like a Noble Mare, but Summer loved fighting. As per tradition within the Hearth family the eldest colt, upon turning sixteen, was to become a Soldier Pony, but that following year Summer put in her own application as well.

Opening her locker, Summer stared at the inside door where a tall mirror was fastened in. Her orange colored flames flicked to and fro, her hide was a snow white, somewhat of an oddity in Flame Ponies, but it made the orange of her eyes stand out even more. Her cutie mark bore a flaming sword encircled with a magical rune.

She had dark rings under her eyes, she looked very tired, but on the inside she was worried. The day that Princess Sapphire had disappeared, the King and Queen left that afternoon, to what Summer thought was to bring her back, but they were gone for nearly a week before returning without her. There were rumors, there were whispers, but the pony she was assigned to protect was still nowhere to be found.

Her horn began to glow an orange hue, Summer's rather heavy armor, meant for long expeditions into the snow, fell to ground with a clatter. Half-heartedly tossing the pieces into her locker, while magically pulling her normal Royal Guard uniform out from the top shelf, Summer knew she'd have an early start the next morning with patrol.

"Summer? Is that you?" A voice spoke to her from the other end of the lockers.

Summer closed her locker a bit to see the Commander of the Royal Guard, Jena Brumal. She was an older Ice Pony pegasi mare, her hide was a turquoise while her cloudy mane was an ocean blue, and her cutie mark depicted a chess rook with snow covering it. Quickly snapping to attention, Summer saluted her.

"I just got back, ma'am, I was going to fill out my report before I went home for the night." Summer stated quickly.

Commander Jena approached her, giving her a firm hug. Summer smiled to herself, trying her best to return the hug, but was feeling much too worn out.

"Did you get the penguins to the Frozen Sea?" Commander Jena asked pulling away from her.

"Yes, ma'am." Summer replied.

"Did you bring enough rations to eat for your journey home?" Commander Jean asked, almost taking a motherly tone with her.

"The penguins insisted I eat raw fish with them, as a sign of their gratitude; I left with some leftovers and their thanks." Summer replied looking a bit squeamish.

Commander Jena laughed; hugging her once more. Summer was very appreciative and grateful to the Commander. There was a sort of stigma to having mares in the Royal Guard or the Knights, but most of it came from the Noble Mares who found it to be very demeaning. While the exclusion of mares from any sort of military capacity had been phased out centuries ago, it wasn't a career move that many mares with 'privilege' saw as a unladylike thing to concern themselves with. The colts, on the other hoof, loved having mares in their squads, not only because they wanted to show off hoping to win favor with them, but when it came down to a fight, they would fight just as hard or harder. When Summer applied to become a Soldier Pony, looking to be part of the Knights, Jena took her under her wing and helped her get to where she was today.

"The report can wait, Summer. You can have it to me by the end of the week, but take tomorrow off to recover from your long trip." Commander Jena told her. "And that's an order."

"Thank you, ma'am." Summer said with an appreciative smile.

"Get yourself organized and get yourself home. A lot has happened since your absence." Commander Jena told her, opening her locker door for her.

"Anything important?" Summer asked, magically putting her chest plate on.

"I've received word from Commander Sleet that your uncle, General Warrick Hearth, has come for a visit." Commander Jena informed her. "He's also retired."

"I thought he was dead." Summer mumbled, not seeming too interested in the news. "I'm sure my brother is freaking out though."

Summer slipped her bracers on, tossing a flame resistant cloak over her back, bearing the sigil of the Royal Guard; a frozen shield with a snowflake upon it. With her magic, Summer tied a belt around her waist carrying her sheath and sword, it was mostly for show, but she had to use it once or twice in her tenor as a Royal Guard.

"Princess Sapphire has also returned as well." Commander Jena mentioned with a smile.

At that moment, Summer was about to close her locker, but ended up slamming her hoof in the door from her sudden surprise. Cursing under her breath, clutching her pinched hoof, Summer tried to shake the pain away while Jena chuckled in amusement.

"Is Princess Sapphire really back?" Summer asked quickly, looking very hopeful.

"She returned earlier today, apparently she is orchestrating a very complicated rescue for the King of the Ashen Fields." Commander Jena explained to her.

"Did she throw his stupid flank into another dimension?" Summer asked sounding rather protective.

"Not quite, but the King _is_ trapped in another dimension." Commander Jena corrected her.

"Really?" Summer asked sounding surprised.

"Chancellor Stone dropped by a little while ago, Princess Sapphire is currently with three honored guests she has brought back from Manehattan and is currently in her chambers." Commander Jena informed her.

Summer turned to run off, getting only two steps before realizing who she was currently running from. Turning back quickly, Summer bowed her head to Commander Jena, before rushing over and hugging her. Commander Jena watched Summer race out of the locker room, smiling at the trouble Princess Sapphire was about to be in.

* * *

The amount of goose feathers that were fluttering through the air made it seem like a flock of geese had exploded in Sapphire's room, but it was just the intensity in which this pillow fight had come to. Princess Sapphire had taken a forward positon, using her third dynasty stationary desk as cover, flanking Florence, Chapel, and Tea forcing them to fall back to the dining room table.

"Surrender!" Princess Sapphire shouted with a smile.

"We do not kneel to tyrants!" Chapel shouted defiantly.

"Especially ones that try to steal our friends' special some pony!" Florence tacked on.

More pillows were thrown, but Princess Sapphire had already devised her victory. With a sudden fan of her wings, she kicked up the goose feathers that had settled upon the floor back into the air, reducing their visibility. Tossing a few pillows of her own wit her magic, Princess Sapphire quickly scaled that wall, using the frost from her hooves to keep her on the surface. Tea, Florence, and Chapel had considerably more pillows than Princess Sapphire had, but were clearly outmatched by her magic.

"We need to draw her out." Chapel whispered.

"Tea should do it; she'll want to hit her with a pillow more than us." Florence remarked.

"I'm not playing the decoy!" Tea hissed, not liking the idea.

Peeking over the table, the three mares looked around, trying to see through the storm of goose feathers that flew about.

"Get ready, every pony, she's going to try and make a move on us." Chapel warned them.

There was a sudden thud from behind them. Every pony whipped around to see Princess Sapphire standing before them, looking very triumphant, and levitating several of their own pillows with her magic.

"The move has been made, and the game is over!" Princess Sapphire declared. "Surrender or face-"

"I got her legs!" Florence shouted, diving at Sapphire's hooves and holding them tightly.

"This is not part of the rul-" Princess Sapphire began but was struck with a pillow by Tea.

Princess Sapphire was brought the ground, Chapel and Tea continuing their attack and hitting her with pillows. Florence wrestled with Sapphire who attempted to squirm away, trying to reach pillows of her own, all the while their laughter filling the air.

The doors of Sapphire's room were thrown open, the sudden upheaval of wind tossing more feathers into the air as Summer rushed into the room.

"My Lady!" Summer shouted sliding to a stop.

Glancing around the room, Summer could see three unfamiliar ponies 'fighting' with Princess Sapphire. Chapel, Tea, and Florence looked over at the sudden arrival of a Flame Pony, watching the goose feathers that floated down onto her burst into flames. Summer was already drawing her sword with her magic, pointing it towards them, looking very angry with them.

"It was Tea's idea!" Chapel shouted dropping the pillow from her hooves and pointing towards Tea.

"What?" Tea asked looking worried.

"Summer?" Princess Sapphire asked in surprise getting to her hooves.

"Don't worry, my Lady, I'll dispose of them for you." Summer said coldly.

Florence, Chapel, and Tea quickly rushed behind Princess Sapphire, not wanting to be disposed of, but Sapphire didn't seem at all worried about it.

"These are my friends, Summer; there is no need for it." Princess Sapphire explained to her.

"They can't be your friends!" Summer shouted sounding angry. "Because _I'm_ your friend, and you've… you've never… had pillow… fights… with me."

Summer sword dropped to the floor, her magic waning, she sounded like she was about to cry which immediately caused Princess Sapphire to rush over to her. Summer felt Princess Sapphire's arms come wrapping around her, trying to calm her down, as Summer clung to her sobbing.

"Why did you leave? I would have gone with you! An Orc, a dragon, you could have been killed! I had to hang out with penguins! Penguins! They made me eat fish!" Summer sobbed.

Tea, Florence, and Chapel had no idea what was going on, but it was obvious that the Flame Pony was rather upset.

"I'm so sorry, Summer. I was scared and I ran off without telling you." Princess Sapphire said to her, trying to calm her down. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you!" Summer snapped clutching her tighter.

Princess Sapphire pulled away from Summer, smiling at her warmly; she seemed to be calming down. There were a few goose feathers still falling, some burning from Summer's flames. Princess Sapphire's horn flashed, all the still usable feathers were suddenly racing back into the pillows they had come from, and the ashes of the burnt ones being swept into the fire place.

"Summer, I would like you to meet Tea Herbal, Christie Chapel, and Florence Gale; friends I made in Manehattan." Princess Sapphire introduced them to her; they gave Summer a small wave.

"Can I dispose of them now?" Summer asked coldly, lifting her sword at them with her magic once more.

Princess Sapphire placed her hoof on the hilt of the sword, lowering it with a shake of her head no.

"Every pony, I would like to introduce you Summer Hearth of the Royal Guard, my personal protector; my friend." Princess Sapphire stated.

Princess Sapphire lit the logs in her fireplace, offering every pony to come sit. At this point the kitchen had finally arrived with delicious treats for Princess Sapphire and her guests, some hot cocoa to wash it all down with. While every pony ate, Princess Sapphire retold the story of her leaving, the events that transpired in the Ashen Fields, and her visit to Manehattan for Summer. It was rather awkward with the glares Summer was giving them for time to time, but Tea, Florence, and Chapel sat quietly listening to the story once again.

"Just so we're clear, you _didn't_ marry the King of Flame Ponies?" Summer asked her.

"No, Smolder chose not to have the arranged marriage." Princess Sapphire reassured her.

"He didn't try to get fresh with you, did he?" Summer asked.

"O-O-Of course not!" Princess Sapphire shouted; her face flushing.

Florence and Chapel giggled to themselves over what Summer has said while Tea was able to just smile into her cup of cocoa.

"An-An-Anyways, the pillow fight was not planned, it was rather spontaneous, but if I ever schedule one in the future I'll be sure to include you. You would prove to be a most challenging opponent." Princess Sapphire concluded to her.

"How long have you two known each other?" Tea asked, raising her cup to drink again.

"I was tasked with protecting Princess Sapphire one year ago." Summer stated proudly.

"Is Princess Sapphire bossy?" Florence asked curiously.

"I'm not bossy!" Princess Sapphire snapped.

"I am required to do whatever Princess Sapphire requests of me, no matter how tedious or boring her requests might be at times." Summer replied trying to sound proud of it.

"Boring!" Princess Sapphire gasped in shock.

" _You and your little ice sculptures_." Summer groaned moving her hooves around like she was puppeteering them. "I've never seen a pony drone on about carving ice so passionately; other than his Majesty."

Now Tea was the one who couldn't help but giggle this time; Florence and Chapel were quick to follow.

"I do not _drone_ on about my ice sculptures!" Princess Sapphire shouted, flushing furiously.

" _Oh, this pony's face was so hard to carve; he has such shallow cheeks that make it difficult not to just shave off his whole head. You have to use the lightest of touches to make sure this pony's flank doesn't look like a grape."_ Summer imitated her voice, miming the action of sculpting something so small.

Now Tea, Florence, and Chapel were laughing out loud; only fueling Princess Sapphire's embarrassment.

"Well… at least my breath doesn't smell like fish!" Princess Sapphire snapped at her.

"Hey!" Summer shouted rising to her hooves. "It was my _duty_ to eat those fish! For the _glory_ of the Frozen North!"

"Well good luck kissing your precious Bleak with that mouth of-" Princess Sapphire was cut short with Summer suddenly grabbing her mouth.

"I told you to _never_ mention him!" Summer hissed, her mane flaring wildly.

"Who's Bleak?" Chapel asked feeling there was some juicy gossip to be had.

"No pony that concerns you!" Summer snapped at her, eyes flaring, fire fizzling.

"I bet it's her _special some pony_." Florence teased as Tea and Chapel 'ooo' at her.

"Can I stab them? I think I'm going to stab them." Summer asked quickly looking at Princess Sapphire before drawing her sword with her magic.

"There will be no stabbing of any kind, Summer; it is how normal ponies tease one another." Princess Sapphire stated, pulling Summer's hooves away from her mouth.

"Why would you want to be friends with _them_?" Summer asked looking annoyed.

"I don't know; why does Bleak like kissing mares with fish breath?" Chapel asked her.

This time Princess Sapphire had to hold Summer back as she tried to lunge at Chapel.

"Summer! These ponies are my friends, just like you are, and I will ask that you behave yourself!" Princess Sapphire shouted, struggling to keep Summer from using her sword.

Summer stopped her struggling, sheathing her sword, and mumbling how she could have made it look like an accident. Princess Sapphire put herself between Summer and the other three, making sure that she would be able to step in if Summer tried to dispose of them again.

"So?" Chapel asked.

"So what?" Summer asked sounding annoyed again.

"Who's Bleak?" Chapel asked once more.

Pursing her lips, Summer's mane flared a bit, before she looked away narrowing her eyes at the fire.

"He's… just a colt." Summer mumbled.

"Do you _love_ him?" Florence asked with a sudden lilt in her voice.

"…yes." Summer said quietly.

Florence and Chapel seemed surprised that Summer had admitted to it. Tea noticed that Princess Sapphire looked a little solemn about Summer's response.

"Is… everything alright?" Tea asked curiously.

Summer turned her head; refusing to answer.

"It is my fault." Princess Sapphire said looking sad.

"What? No! No, it's not!" Summer shouted in surprise turning back to look at her.

"Why is it your fault, Princess Sapphire?" Florence asked her.

"It's not!" Summer snapped at her.

"When Summer was offered the position of being my protector, it meant that she would spend a vast majority of her time by my side. This meant that she would be sacrificing her social life for my sake; which in turn had ended whatever relationship Summer had with Bleak." Princess Sapphire said solemnly.

"I-I-I dumped him because he's a lecherous con artist with _no_ redeeming qualities!" Summer stated loudly, insisting upon it.

"Then why did you date him to begin with?" Chapel asked curiously.

"I-" Summer started up, her mane flaring; face flushing. "I _knew_ him, I didn't _date_ him."

"Did you want to?" Florence asked curiously.

"I would rather eat fish for the rest of my life then to ever have to go on a date with that worthless, good for nothing, con artist Ice Pony!" Summer shouted flushing at the thought.

* * *

Bleak Winter was patrolling the edge of the Dark Marsh with Corporal Hicks and Corporal Reese. Patrols were rarely ever exciting; it was mostly a lot of walking, and checking of things but mostly talking. Corporal Hicks and Reese were more than happy to go over the basics of the patrol for Bleak, telling him what to look out for, where to look, what to listen for, and how to remain alert. Corporal Reese would add in things like, how slow a pony could walk to eat into the patrol, how to make a boring patrol look better on the report, where to take naps when no pony was looking; the important things.

"Did the Commander bite your head off?" Hicks asked curiously. "For the gambling?"

"I got a talking to." Bleak replied not sounding too worried about it. "We straightened things out. It's a bit… difficult coming from such a different place."

"I heard things are lot stricter up North." Reese mentioned.

"The loosest thing you'll find up North is the fresh snow." Bleak replied. "It's an old Ice Pony saying."

"I'd like to visit the North at some point." Hicks said thinking about it.

"If you like snow then the North is for you." Bleak stated.

"Hicks just likes the Ice Pony mares." Reece mentioned with a smirk.

"Like you don't." Hicks was quick to fire back.

"You should go as soon as you can. Ice Ponies like new things, having kept to ourselves for so long we've gotten interested in things other than ourselves for once." Bleak mentioned.

Reece and Hicks looked at one another in happy surprise.

"You think we'd have a shot?" Hicks asked curiously.

Bleak stopped short of his walk, turning to look at the very hopeful looking Hicks and Reese; a smirk on his face.

"Ice Pony mares are smart, good looking, but crave variety. You're unique, you're different, and you're both single which makes you prime candidates." Bleak said reassuringly.

Hicks and Reese smiled at one another, looking rather confident about their future trips to find themselves a special some pony.

"Never mind the fact that most Ice Pony mares are bitterly cold hearted monsters that live and breathe on their desire for revenge if you ever wrong them in any way shape or form." Bleak added, turning to continue the patrol.

Hicks and Reese looked at one another again, quite horror being exchanged from one another.

"They're not all like that... right?" Hicks asked hopefully, catching up to Bleak.

"All the ones I've dated were." Bleak replied with a smirk.

"H-H-How many dates have you had?" Reese asked in surprise.

"I don't know, couple dozen?" Bleak replied thinking about it.

Reese and Hicks pointed towards one another, mouthing numbers of dates they've had trying to add up a total between themselves; they came up with a half a date.

"Yeah well… dating a Fire Pony mare isn't very easy." Reese said in a matter of fact tone.

"If you only _knew_ the kind of attitude they have." Hicks added.

"I've dated a Flame Pony." Bleak replied.

"Nuh uh!" Reese said sounding immature.

"Her name was Summer, she had snow white hide, and fire so orange you'd think it was made of the juice." Bleak said with a longing sigh.

"Whatever happened to her?" Hicks asked curiously.

Bleak didn't respond right away, he slowed his steps before coming to a halt. Hicks and Reese stopped a few steps ahead of him wondering what was wrong.

"She was Noble, a soldier, a knight, and I was just a… a nobody. She caught me doing some… illegal things several times, but she never turned me in. We got to talking eventually, when I wasn't technically under arrest, and we hit it off well enough." Bleak said thinking back on it. "But she was offered a job, a really important job that she _really_ wanted to have, but she wouldn't take it because she wouldn't be able to see me anymore."

"So what did she do?" Hicks asked curiously.

" _I_ dumped her." Bleak said with a sigh.

" _You_ dumped _her_?" Reese asked in surprise.

"A colt can dump a mare!" Bleak stated defensively.

"Well, yeah, but… it like never happens, we're usually the ones getting dumped." Hicks replied.

"Well I dumped her, end of the story. Let's get back to our walking patrol thing we do." Bleak said sounding flummoxed from even bringing it up.

Hicks and Reese watched Bleak pass them by; it was obvious to them that he wasn't actually over this Summer mare of his. Catching up to Bleak once more, the three colts walked a ways, not talking, and just letting the ambient noise of the Dark Marsh fill the silence.

"So… is that why you came down to the Ashen Fields?" Reese asked after a while.

Bleak narrowed his eyes at him.

"I came down here to make a bit of coin, if you must know. I was supposed to move rocks, but you could say that I… sweet talked my way into this job." Bleak replied.

"So from crook to soldier, huh?" Hicks asked curiously.

"Please." Bleak said looking offended. "Con artist. It's got the word _art_ in it."

"Well, now that you're a soldier pony, what do you plan to do?" Hicks asked.

Bleak thought about it for a moment, he knew his answer, but he wasn't sure if being completely honest with them was the way to go. He was being rather honest up until this point, they didn't seem to mind all that much, I'm sure they looked at him differently for it but not down at him. It was the second chance Flare had given him, and he felt the need to at least try to be honest for more than an hour.

"Start over." Bleak said simply. "And ask Summer to take me back when I've done something worthwhile with my life."

"I guess you've got your heart set on this Summer mare, huh?" Hicks asked, sounding impressed with his resolve to better himself.

"My heart is for Summer, but rest of me is for any mare that wants a taste of Winter." Bleak said with a lecherous smile.

Hicks and Reese started laughing at Bleak; finding it to be the most awkward things they've heard him say all day. Bleak couldn't help but join them in their laughter. The three colts continued to patrol the Dark Marsh, ripping into Bleak's exaggerated view of himself, feeling the warm rays of the summer sun beating down upon them.


	38. Chapter 38: The Smoking Question

Princess Luna walked through the Canterlot Garden, yawning loudly as it was already passed midday, and was relatively early for her to be up at such an hour. Having been informed of Princess Sapphire's plan to search for other Obelisks scattered across Equestria with the help of Twilight and her friends, Princess Celestia recommended doing their _own_ research into the Void. Utilizing the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing of the Canterlot Archives, Princess Celestia believed that it would hold some sort of clue about the Void.

It had been little over a week since they had started their research, and in all that time had found nothing that even hinted at the existence of an Obelisk. Still, Princess Luna diligently continued to wake up early every day to assist in the research effort, as did Princess Celestia who spent nearly all of her free time within these archives.

Upon reaching the doors leading to the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, two Royal Guard ponies stationed just outside withdrew their crossed spears blocking the entrance of the door to allow her access. Stepping through the threshold, the doors closed behind her as the clink of the spears held by the Royal Guards crossed the door once more. Princess Luna illuminated her horn with a bright blue glow to help light her way through the darkened corridor. It was rare for any pony to have permission to make use of these archives, only the Royal Archives Attendant would frequent this place to manage the old texts, but the sconces upon the wall were void of any fire to light her path.

While Princess Celestia deemed it unethical to use a time spell to return to the past to simply ask or witness the events of Lord Smoke and the Void, there was significant research as well as history to be found within these archives. In respects to Time Traveling, a pony must know where they are going, lest they thrown anywhere in the timeline, so it only made sense to have as much of history mapped out to be able to pinpoint the time in which you wanted to visit. This was Princess Celestia's idea, if not hope, to find something about Flame Pony history, hidden away with the Star Swirl's archive. It was a rather clever idea, seeing as the Mad King would not have been able to destroy anything Star Swirl would have recorded himself.

Turning the corner Princess Luna suddenly felt the ground tremble, the bookshelves rocking from this unseen thumping, as an enormous celestial bear claw slammed itself out from around an aisle. Standing before her was an Ursa Major, its fangs bared, its see-through celestial blue like body shimmering from her light, and growling angrily at her. The Ursa Major leaned its head closer to her, roaring loudly in Princess Luna's face, shaking the bookshelves around them, freeing the years of dust that gathered upon them. The Ursa Major finished its bellow, glaring at Princess Luna, who in turn looked unfazed if not uncaring towards it.

"If you have time for such games, Discord, then you must have uncovered _all_ the mysteries of the Void." Princess Luna stated flatly.

The Ursa Major 's body suddenly began swell like a balloon, the sound of latex being stretched before popping out of existence, leaving a miserable looking Discord where it stood. With his arms folded, pouting from Princess Luna's lack of a reaction, he turned his snout up at her in a huff.

"You're really starting to sound like your sister, do you know that?" Discord remarked sounding annoyed.

"I'll take that as a no, then." Princess Luna replied walking past Discord.

"It wouldn't kill us to take a break every now and again." Discord muttered walking alongside of her.

"Every moment we waste is another moment that can bring Lord Smolder closer to an untimely end." Princess Luna reminded him.

"If it hasn't happened already." Discord tacked on.

"You're concern for Lord Smolder's well-being is _overwhelming_." Princess Luna remarked narrowing her eyes at him.

" _If_ that Flame Pony has managed to survive this long, who knows how long it will be until we actually mount a rescue. I, for one, am not looking forward to seeing that portal open once again." Discord stated.

"Which is precisely why we must do everything within our power to speed up this process as quickly as possible; I'm sure my sister would agree with me." Princess Luna replied confidently.

Coming to the end of the corridor, where several tables were set up, piled with old tomes and texts sat Princess Celestia. With her head leaning back, her snores filling the air, Discord smirked as if he had won his argument while Princess Luna rolled her eyes at this sight. There were dozens of books, piles of parchment, a half-eaten piece of cake, and ancient scrolls stacked in front of her. It would seem that Princess Celestia had worked through the night, and continued right into the day with her research.

"I almost feel bad waking her, she has been down here more than either of us." Princess Luna said sympathetically.

"Don't wake her just yet. Wait until I get a picture; I want this to be my Hearth's Warming Eve card." Discord said happily, snapping his claws producing a camera out of thin air.

Discord slithered up to Princess Celestia, wrapping his paw around her shoulders, holding the camera high as he put on a big toothy smile, and snapped the picture generating a huge flash. It was enough to jolt Princess Celestia from her sleep, her crown tilted, her mane slightly disheveled, and looking very unaware of her surroundings.

" _Gooooooood_ afternoon, Princess Celestia! My aren't we looking ravishing today!" Discord cried, taking several more pictures of her from many different angles.

"What? What is it? What did I miss?" Princess Celestia asked quickly still dazed from her slumber.

"Calm yourself, sister, you merely fell asleep." Princess Luna reassured her, seating herself in the chair next to her.

Discord snapped his claws once more, having a cup of coffee magically levitate before her. Taking the cup of coffee, looking around trying to get her bearings, she seemed quite out of it. Princess Celestia rubbed her eyes with her hoof to relieve the sleep from them, taking a drink of the coffee, and yawning quietly. Princess Luna could see several pieces of parchments referencing Lord Smoke's rule, along with a couple of letters written by other Noble Ponies to him, but nothing written by Lord Smoke himself.

"How... long have I been asleep?" Princess Celestia asked through another yawn.

"You fell asleep a couple of hours ago; I thought it best to let you rest." Discord replied shaking the polaroid of his future Hearth's Warming picture.

"I _told_ you to wake me if I dozed off." Princess Celestia snapped, sounding a bit grouchy.

"You've been at this for quite a while now, sister, even _you_ need your rest." Princess Luna remarked.

"Yeah, well…" Princess Celestia mumbled, taking another sip of her coffee. "It proved fruitless."

"Something will turn up." Princess Luna reassured her.

"It's bad enough Flame Ponies record their history in stone, but after the Mad King destroyed a wealth of their history it makes it almost impossible to finding anything that mentions them." Princess Celestia said bitterly.

"Have you found anything in Star Swirl's notes?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

"There are volumes and volumes of his notes, and then there are references to other tomes he's written that go into more detail about particular subjects. It is very much a system that he, himself, came up with that made a great deal of sense to him, but makes it a nightmare when trying to find anything by any pony else." Princess Celestia explained to her.

Princess Luna's magic pulled one of Star Swirl's old books closer to her, flipping the book open to see an amalgamation of notes with no real order scrawled all over the pages, she frowned at the amount of time it would take to even find a place to start.

Time crawled on, much of it in focused silence, trying to find any sort of clue. Discord spent his time taking a book off the shelf, tossing it in his mouth, chewing it for a couple of minutes before spitting it out, good as new, and putting it back on the shelf; having 'consumed' the information that it held within. It came as no surprise to any pony that none of them found anything of use.

Princess Celestia was beginning to feel discouraged, there hadn't been any word from Twilight or her friends about the other Obelisks, there was no way to tell if Smolder was alright, and the constant dead ends in their research was close to depressing her. Her self doubt was interrupted by the sloppy licking sounds from Discord who seemed to be licking the same book over and over again; each lick more drawn out than the last.

"Do you _mind_?" Princess Celestia said sounding annoyed.

"I'm trying to figure something out." Discord replied in a matter of fact tone.

"What the book tastes like?" Princess Luna asked in rather disgusted tone.

"Why is our little Flame Pony named Phoenix?" Discord questioned, licking the book again.

"Because that was his father's name, and his father before him." Princess Celestia stated.

"And his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him..." Discord mumbled several times over. " _Except_ , the very _his_ father's name was Smoke."

This seemed to peak both Princess Celestia's and Princess Luna's curiosity for the moment, it didn't have anything to do with the Void, but this minor distraction was putting them in better spirits.

"That had never crossed my mind." Princess Luna confessed, thinking about it some more. "Was his name not simply Smoke Phoenix?"

"Let me check." Discord mumbled, licking the book again. "No... no. It was Ashen Smoke. Most likely the fields were named after him, or perhaps the other way around."

"I would assume Smoke's son took the maiden name of his special somepony when he married." Princess Celestia surmised.

"No... no." Discord said between licks. "Her name was Daybreak, not Phoenix. Besides, Smoke's son was named Blaze Phoenix; he didn't carry his father's name."

"What book are you... reading, Discord?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

"It's just a collection of Royal King's and Queen's of Equestria. It seems a bit outdated, seeing as our little Flame Pony hasn't been added yet." Discord mentioned slithering over to her placing the book before her.

Princess Celestia flipped the book open with her magic, the book was rather large, being separated by several blank pages to allow for new lines of lineage to be drawn; the main separator being the symbol of each Royal Family. Eventually, the pages flipped to a flame, turning the very first page, Princess Celestia could see the name of Ashen Smoke being labeled as the first of the Royal Family; his son immediately after having the name Phoenix. There were dates given about each pony, day of birth, their wedding day, and their death.

"It is curious..." Princess Luna mused at the curiosity of the name; seeming interested.

"We should be getting back to work." Princess Celestia stated, trying to close the book; Discord's paw pressed down upon it to stop her from doing so.

"Can't we just use one of those old crazy pony's time spells? Just ask this ancient Flame Pony King about this and... other more _important_ things?" Discord asked in a rather amused smile.

"That would be highly unethical as well as completely dangerous, Discord. Time travel is not something to use on a whim." Princess Celestia stated; not wanting to admit that particular idea had crossed her mind several times already.

"Could... we not make an exception this one time?" Princess Luna asked looking almost sure of her words.

"You're not serious?" Princess Celestia questioned her with surprise.

"We have nothing to go on, sister, who better to ask than some pony that spoke with these creatures, that knows more about this realm than we could ever hope to?" Princess Luna asked trying to face the facts of their situation.

"There is no telling what _our_ interference within the time stream would do to the future, it is a risk we cannot take." Princess Celestia insisted sticking by her earlier statement.

"Unless of course you _did_ go back to speak with this old Flame Pony King, and it has all been preordained to happen which would have lead us to this exact moment." Discord offered a counter argument.

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes at Discord, knowing full well that his theoretical loophole held some sort of weight to it, but these sorts of theories were left to much wiser ponies; ones with beards.

Looking passed Discord at the countless books that lined the bookshelves, the hundreds of scrolls left untouched, and with each passing moment being possibly Smolder's last moment Princess Celestia was reconsidering this idea.

"Time could be rewritten, it could fracture, it break all together, for better or worse." Princess Celestia began contemplating the choice. "The real question would be, is Smolder worth it?"

The room grew quiet, no pony wanted to answer such a question, the consequences severely outweighed the 'good intentions' every pony had. Discord put his arms behind his back, looking away having decided not to indulge her with an answer.

"I..." Princess Luna began, stopping short to think about what she wanted to say next. "I think... any... _parent_ wouldn't have to be asked twice if they wanted to save their child. Seeing as Smolder is without either, I suppose his would be _godmother_ would have the final say in it."

Princess Celestia tried very hard not to smile, knowing that Luna was completely in favor of this plan, but decided to throw in some would be guilt to influence her decision. Princess Luna tried not to look guilty, doing her best not to smile as well, but it was obvious that Celestia had figured her out.

"You are too clever for you're own good." Princess Celestia stated with a smirk to her.

Rising from her chair, Princess Celestia's magic carried the book behind her as she made her way towards the restricted section of Star Swirl the Bearded's Wing. Princess Luna followed after her, looking a bit worried, but overall confident in her choice. Discord skipped along, looking rather gleeful in what was to come.

* * *

Ashen Smoke, the Dragon Rider, Lord of the Ashen Fields, King of the Flame Ponies, stood within his Royal Chambers, staring out over the green fields of grass that carpeted his kingdom from end to end. Several unicorn and pegasi Flame Ponies were taking great care in removing two large Obelisks that sat within the center of the fields. His hide was a of the grayish variety, smokey some would say, his flames had hints of blue where the flames flared from his hide, while the the soft yellow of his flames seemed tremble like a newly struck match. He was technically an Alicorn, although his wings had been 'removed' long ago by the Second Age Dragon, Tharos of Fear, who had eventually fell in battle to Smoke years later during the Flame Pony Uprising.

Lord Smoke watched the pegasi begin to lift the Obelisk from its perch, feeling a nagging pain in his seeing this take place. Heaving a sigh, Lord Smoke closed his eyes, resting his head against the glass of the window contemplating the choices he had made. The door to the Royal Chambers opened a bit, a Flame Pony dressed in plain metal armor, a savage scar across his eye that left him blind in one eye stepped in. He was a jet black colored Flame Pony, his mane a darkened orange, he look fierce, battle hardened, and he had enough scars to prove it. He was Lord Smoke's General, Maul the Scarred, having no knowledge of his own heritage.

"Smoke, can I have a word?" Maul asked in a gravel like voice.

"I'm listening." Lord Smoke replied, loud enough to be heard.

"You did the right thing." Maul stated firmly.

Lord Smoke opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Maul who stared back at him without any sign of doubt in his own words.

"You really believe so?" Lord Smoke asked.

"I _know_ so." Maul stated approaching him.

Placing a firm hoof on his shoulder, Maul shook him a bit to get his confidence in his King across, managing to crack the rare smile he only shared with those he considered family.

"I can still hear there screams, Maul, there cries for help." Lord Smoke mumbled, sounding regretful.

"Good. Only a Mad Pony would not be troubled with a difficult decision, but you will hear the shrieks of laughter from our children, and the cries of thanks for the world you helped build for them." Maul said to him.

Lord Smoke nodded slowly, it was just one difficult choice that had to be made, the responsibility only a King could have the honor and the guilt that came with it. Maul gave him a hard pat on the shoulder to convey his respect for his choice, stepping away from his King, he turned back towards the doors to leave. He stopped short, turning once more to face his King, giving him a small smirk.

"My wife gave birth to a son this morning." Maul informed him.

Lord Smoke's guilt ridden face melted away, a genuine smile rolling across it, his heart becoming light from the news. It was Smoke's turn to approach his friend, giving him a one arm hug, and embracing him tightly.

"That's wonderful news." Lord Smoke stated happily. "How is Jasmine?"

"Resting at home, the Doctor is currently seeing to her and the baby." Maul replied, unable to hide the smile.

"Did you pick out a name yet?" Lord Smoke asked curiously.

"Jasmine and I have decided on naming him Sulfur." Maul stated proudly.

"It's a good name." Lord Smoke praised him; placing his hoof on Maul's shoulder. "Will he be known Sulfur son of Maul then?"

"We've actually decided on honoring him with a Family name, one that he can pass to his own children, his children's children." Maul explained to him.

"What would be that be?" Lord Smoke asked curiously.

"We're giving him the name Hearth, to remember the home we fought for, and what it represents to us." Maul said, looking rather satisfied by his choice.

"Sulfur Hearth. It has a ring to it." Lord Smoke said with a smile.

Maul nodded a few times. Heading back towards the door to return to his home, and waiting family.

"Come by and see him, Smoke. It made put mind at ease knowing he lives because of you and the choices you've made." Maul said to him before leaving the room.

The door to his Royal Chamber closed. Smoke was visibly happy for his friend becoming a father, for his own son, Blaze Phoenix, had been born several weeks earlier. The events of his son's birth started to flood his memories, a mixture of sorrow and joy mixed into one tragic yet miraculous day for him.

Although, a sudden upheaval of wind fanned his flames, its origin in the center of his Royal Chamber, wondering what the cause of it was, a sudden flash of white light bathed the room; blinding him. Covering his eyes from the intensity of the light, Lord Smoke lowered his arm to see what had been the cause of it. Standing before him, was a white mare with a multicolored mane that had a natural flowing motion to it. She bore a crown upon her head, suggesting a regal pony, and looked rather nervous to be here.

"Lord Smoke?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

"Yes..." Lord Smoke replied slowly looking rather confused.

"I don't have much time, so _please_ understand that what I am about to tell you is vitality important, but above all else _truthful_." Princess Celestia stated sounding very sincere if not a bit fearful. "My name is Princess Celestia, and I have come from the far _future_ to speak with you."

"Speak to me? About what?" Lord Smoke asked, feeling rather skeptical.

"The Void, the realm darkness you sealed, and the information of it you destroyed." Princess Celestia informed him.

"No! No we shan't speak of this. I'm sorry, but I've made my decision on the matter. The Void will remain shut for all time. I've made sure of that. What it is that you're trying to do in this 'future' of yours, I warn you leave it be, and forget everything you know of it." Lord Smoke replied hastily, walking away from her.

"I implore you, Lord Smoke, reconsider and tell me what you know, what I _should_ know. We have a friend that is trapped within the Void, and we are desperate to help him." Princess Celestia pleaded with him.

"Leave your friend to his fate, for the Storm _cannot_ be allowed to escape. I will tell you what you _need_ to know. _I_ sentenced them to die, their plan was too risky, and I had to make that choice; risk all of Equestria being taken in shadow, or condemn an entire species." Lord Smoke stated looking remorseful for it.

"What plan, Lord Smoke? What-" Princess Celestia began.

"Enough!" Lord Smoke shouted sounding fearful. "Whoever it is you claim be, you know what is at stake, the lives you are sworn to protect, the darkness that will destroy this world, consider these things before you go any further! Do not return here again, I shall not help you destroy this world."

Princess Celestia watched Lord Smoke head towards his Chamber doors. The spell Princess Celestia had cast wasn't going to last for much longer, so far this had been all for not, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Your descendant, Smolder Phoenix, the current King of the Ashen Fields, is trying to fix your mistake!" Princess Celestia shouted rather harshly to him.

These words caused Lord Smoke to freeze on the spot. The word 'mistake' echoing inside of him like hammer against his heart.

"I cannot tell you every horrible thing this colt has been through, he's not even eighteen years of age yet, but if you only _knew_ of the _good_ things he has done, the things he's sacrificed for his Kingdom and his ponies you would know why _I_ am so adamant about getting home. I don't know if I would have done things differently in your position, by all rights I shouldn't even be here, but I am asking you, for his sake, please... tell me what I can do to save him." Princess Celestia pleaded once more with him.

Lord Smoke didn't turn around, he remained very still, seconds were ticking by and each one brought Princess Celestia closer to losing her one chance at learning something.

"The Arcana approached us with a desperate plan; one that I refused." Lord Smoke began quietly; Princess Celestia hanging on to every word. "They wanted us to activate four portals, the Obelisks spread across Equestria, at once, and assuring us that it would nullify the Storm long enough to kill the creature that commanded it. The plan would not work if the Obelisks were removed, broken, or lacked sufficient power."

Princess Celestia's heart leaped at this news, realizing there _was_ a chance to defeat this Storm, or at least weaken it long enough to get Smolder out.

"Thank you." Princess Celestia said graciously bowing her head to him.

"I won't... live long enough to see him, will I?" Lord Smoke asked curiously. "To thank him."

"I'm sorry." Princess Celestia replied shaking her head apologetically.

Princess Celestia's magical spell began to spark around her, the sudden upthrust of wind started to swirl around her; time was up. Lord Smoke turned to see that she was returned to where ever she had come from, feeling a small amount of hope for this Smolder to right the 'mistake' he had made.

"Lord Smoke, I forgot to ask!" Princess Celestia called out to him. "Why is your son named Phoenix?"

"Another time, perhaps." Lord Smoke replied with a smirk that resembled Smolder's.

* * *

Discord and Princess Luna were waiting for Princess Celestia's return, it would be ten minutes in the past, which by this spell meant ten minutes of waiting for her return. The sudden updraft of wind started blowing the around them, the bookshelves started to sway a bit, as the sudden implosion of magic and blinding flash of white light filled the Wing. Princess Celestia stood before them, a triumphant smile upon her face, as well as a look of relief that her 'trip' did not distort the timeline.

"I've got it." Princess Celestia stated confidently.

"What is it?" Princess Luna asked curiously.

"The Obelisks, if used simultaneously, can render the Storm inert, long enough to get Smolder out, or even destroy it." Princess Celestia informed them.

"No! Not that! How did they get the name Phoenix?" Discord asked, brushing her information aside.

"I-I-I ran out of time, and he wasn't able to tell me." Princess Celestia stammered looking surprised.

Princess Luna turned her head to pout, her horn suddenly glowing revealing several gold bits to Discord who took them rather happily.

"You were betting on me?" Princess Celestia asked in disbelief.

" _I_ said you'd waste all your time in the past trying to get _anything_ out of that Flame Pony only to forget asking him the real important question. Princess Luna believed you wouldn't, but it seems she gave you far too much credit." Discord informed her, blowing up the coins like a balloon.

"Obviously, my sister needs a check list the next time she decides to travel back in time to ask ancient ponies pressing questions." Princess Luna remarked hotly storming off, still mad about losing her bet.

"Luna! I'm sorry! I'll pay you back!" Princess Celestia called after, quickly trying to catch up to her.

"So what was it like in the past? Was it all black and white and film grainy? Did make make any really long term investments? Did you take any pictures?" Discord asked curiously, caring the five gold coined shaped balloons with him if only to taunt Princess Luna further.


	39. Chapter 39: Alpine For You

The hour was late for every pony especially Summer Hearth. She was expected to be at home for dinner and was already over an hour late. Having said her goodbyes to Chapel, Tea, and Florence, slightly unsheathing her sword giving them a rather dangerous look, Summer bid farewell to Princess Sapphire; earning a hug from her. Although, Summer demanded Princess Sapphire's word that she would not take off again at least not without informing her first.

With Princess Sapphire's reassurance, Summer excused herself and headed home. Her jealousy of these _new_ ponies wasn't unwarranted, but it _was_ rather immature in part. Being Princess Sapphire's Royal Bodyguard was her duty as a Knight, but she had assumed that the time they spent together had made them closer than most. It wasn't that Princess Sapphire didn't deserve to make new friends, it was just Summer had never seen her so happy before, and that was saying a lot from spending nearly a year at her side.

Descending the large staircase to the Main Hall of Castle Fjord, Summer knew she was running late getting home, but at this rate she felt that being another half hour late wouldn't be any different if she ran and had been ten minutes late. Every pony would have asked where she had been anyways; so she felt like taking her time.

Taking the regularly unused Right Wing exit, exclusive to mostly Royal Guard Ponies during shift changes, Summer walked out into the subzero temperatures of the Frozen North and headed towards the Noble Cliffside.

Looking up at the castle, Summer could still see the light of the fireplace in Princess Sapphire's room still flickering. She felt herself frown at the idea of being 'left out', but of course that wasn't the case; she just had previous engagements. Just the idea of these _new_ ponies she had never met before, becoming so close to Princess Sapphire in such a short time, almost angered her, but it was just her jealousy fueling her temper.

" _Look at me; I'm just a fun loving mare who doesn't have any real responsibilities other than to stay up late and party with Princesses._ " Summer mocked Chapel's voice, making faces as she spoke.

Spitting a small flame in a huff, Summer's mane flared angrily at the idea of those three mares giggling and laughing with Princess Sapphire. The frozen wind that whipped at her hide did little more than sear against her heated flames and did nothing to soothe her temper.

"I'm a _fun_ pony." Summer mumbled, speaking to herself. "I bet _none_ of those mares can swing a sword."

Climbing the ice bridge to the Noble Cliffside, Summer eyes drifted to the Artic Bluff far down below, seeing all the lights of the nighttime city twinkling through the flourishing winds of snow. Her mind drifted to Bleak, wondering if he was sleeping in some alley again, hiding from the Night Watch for breaking up another gambling den he led, or perhaps talking with some other mare in some ice licked tavern.

"He's a bum! Don't bother talking to him!" Summer shouted over the ledge of the ice bridge to the Artic Bluff down below; flushing furiously at her own thoughts.

Spitting fire into the air, her mane flaring from her own twisted thoughts, Summer stormed off across the ice bridge cursing under her breath on how stupid every pony was. Her anger hadn't cooled off at all reaching the Noble Cliffside, many Noble Ice Ponies crossed streets way ahead of her to avoid the flaring flames her mane was casting off. Summer walked on, unable to get the pesky thoughts of Sapphire's new friends and Bleak's big, dumb, stupid face out of her head. Letting her head drop upon the large seal of the Sleet Family crest, Summer sighed miserably.

"It's not like I need him, he left me, which means he didn't _need_ me, but that's fine because I didn't _need_ him." Summer mumbled to herself. "He's not going to do any better than me; he won't be able to replace me."

Summer's flames dwindled to a small simmer, the reason for her worries finally making an appearance.

"I don't want to be replaced." Summer mumbled sadly.

The large wooden doors suddenly opened, causing Summer to suddenly fall face first onto the stone pavement as Kirk Summerland stood before her holding the edge of the door.

"Lady Summer? Are you alright?" Kirk asked curiously.

"Fine, Kirk! I'm just fine!" Summer snapped getting to her hooves and rubbing her nose; embarrassed for a whole different reason now.

"Every pony is awaiting your arrival, Lady Summer." Kirk informed her.

"Yeah, yeah, they want me to meet our _great_ and _outstanding_ Uncle; General Hearth." Summer said with a snarky inflection in her voice; rolling her eyes.

"I'm retired actually." A voice spoke up.

Kirk opened the large wooden door a bit wider to reveal Summer's father Coal and an unfamiliar Flame Pony standing behind him. Summer's face flushed, her mane flaring in embarrassment, seeing unamused face of her father glaring at her from her snarky comment.

"D-D-Daddy, hi… I didn't see you there." Summer stammered looking guilty.

Coal approached her, pulling her in for a hug, to which Summer returned in kind. Summer had been away for nearly three days, and no amount of sass was going to sway Coal from welcoming her back home.

"Why are you late?" Coal asked stepping away from her.

"I went to speak with Princess Sapphire; I-I-I-I'm sorry." Summer replied quickly.

"You've kept everypony waiting, especially your _great_ and _outstanding_ Uncle." Coal stated, emphasizing her own words.

Summer knew her father was dropping a 'subtle' hint for her to apologize for her rather sassy remark about her Uncle. While her father doted upon her for being his only daughter, his princess, he still kept a firm stance on showing respect and keeping good manners with other ponies.

"Oh Coal, give her a break, she doesn't even know me." Hearth said rolling his eyes at his parenting.

"That's no excuse to speak poorly of another pony." Coal stated, looking over at him.

"She _said_ I was great and outstanding. Sounds like compliments to me." Hearth replied.

"It's the _way_ she said it." Coal retorted turning to face him.

"It's the way she said it." Hearth mocked his tone.

Coal quickly approached Hearth, looking rather cross with him.

"Why are you trying to undermine me? Are you trying to make me look like a mean Dad?" Coal hissed as him.

"You're acting a lot like our Dad used to. It seems that you not only inherited his cutie mark, but that stick that was always up his-" Hearth began.

Summer watched her father, the hard as nails, no nonsense pony, wrestle her newly met Uncle in the snow demanding that he 'take it back' while trying to smother him. Having only just met him, Summer was rather surprised that her Uncle, the War Hero her father always spoke so highly of, was a far cry from the stories she had heard. She was expecting this battle hardened colt, marching around, giving orders, talking of old war stories, demanding to be respected, but what she got was an Uncle; a retired Uncle.

Coal got to his hooves, having exhausted himself in trying to smother his older brother, striding back towards Summer trying to look dignified with his sudden rough housing. Hearth was rolling over in the snow, his flames melting the packed ice in his head that Coal had tried to bury him with.

"Your mother is starting to worry so let's get back inside and eat." Coal said with taking a couple deep breaths.

Summer walked alongside her father, her Uncle Hearth following behind them with Kirk beside him. There was an awkward silence that hung about them. Hearth would make faces behind Coal's back, stopping whenever Coal looked over his shoulder at him, and proceeded to start again when he looked away. It was hard for Summer to admit, but she was beginning to like her long lost Uncle Hearth; just a little.

* * *

Florence and Chapel had fallen asleep upon Princess Sapphire's bed, the events of the day having taken a great toll upon them, and their exhaustion having finally caught up. Tea hadn't worked herself up over the whole ordeal, having been acclimated to Royalty at Smolder's coronation, but she did find herself to be relatively tired from the earlier pillow fight. Having decided to clean up after herself, as well as Chapel and Florence, placing the hot cocoa mugs upon the tray that had originally been brought from the kitchen; Tea yawned quietly to herself.

Turning to look towards Princess Sapphire's bed, wondering if Chapel and Florence even asked if they could crash there for the night, Tea noticed that Sapphire was still sitting by the fireplace staring into the dying flames of the fire.

"Princess Sapphire?" Tea called out to her.

Tea didn't get a reply back. Crossing the room, Tea came up alongside Princess Sapphire noticing how intensely she stared at the flames.

"Hey, Sapphire." Tea said softly to her, shaking her shoulder a bit.

"Wh-What? Did you need something?" Princess Sapphire asked looking a bit out of it.

"Are you alright?" Tea asked sitting down next to her.

"Fine. Fine. Totally fine." Princess Sapphire replied nodding her head at least a dozen times.

Tea sat with her, giving her a sympathetic look; hoping she would open on her own. Princess Sapphire glanced over at her a few times, taking notice of Tea's silent insistence, and doing her best not to look too bothered with her thoughts.

"You're thinking about Smolder, huh?" Tea asked her.

Princess Sapphire slowly turned her head from Tea, her eyes narrowing, knowing she had been easy to read, but felt comfortable enough admitting it to her.

"I'm worried about him." Princess Sapphire admitted.

"We'll get him back." Tea said reassuringly.

"I have no doubts about bringing him back from the Void." Princess Sapphire explained to her. "I'm worried about… _him_."

Princess Sapphire glanced over at Tea who looked rather confused by her meaning. Feeling her face suddenly flush, Princess Sapphire turned her head again to avoid making eye contact with her.

"Never mind, I'm just prattling." Princess Sapphire remarked quickly.

"No, no." Tea replied sounding concerned. "What are you worried about?"

Tea watched as Princess Sapphire took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before looking back at her with a rather somber looking expression.

"I've… always been a Princess, waiting for the next task to be asked of me, to serve the realm faithfully and carry that into my rule when I take the throne someday. I studied hard, trained even harder, so that no pony would doubt my ability to assume the mantle as Queen." Princess Sapphire began.

Tea nodded her head. It wasn't much of a comparison, but becoming a doctor pony took time and lots of practice so she felt something a kin to what Sapphire was talking about.

"Then it was arranged so that I would wed Smolder, a forgotten Flame Pony Prince, who came from nothing, he had no training or schooling to speak of, and didn't know the first thing in ruling a Kingdom." Princess Sapphire continued. "How could any pony, any Princess, take him seriously?"

"It does sound like a mismatch." Tea commented.

"When I finally got around to telling him of this arranged marriage my parents had put together. That all he had to do was accept it and it would be done; I would be _his_ Queen. I was expecting him to say yes, every fiber of my being believed he was going to say yes, and it terrified me; my whole future rested with his answer." Princess Sapphire reminisced sounding sad.

"But he refused it, right?" Tea asked.

"Essentially, yes, but what bothered me was that he said he wasn't _good_ enough." Princess Sapphire replied quietly.

"Not good enough?" Tea asked sounding curious.

"He was quick to speak poorly of himself. So much so that it bothered me and he continued to list his faults like I should know how unworthy he was. What I felt to be most disconcerting was that he truly _believed_ what he was saying." Princess Sapphire explained.

"I'm sure Smolder was just nervous." Tea offered.

"He used the word 'horrible', Tea." Princess Sapphire said looking over at Tea in disbelief. "What sort of pony believes himself to be horrible?"

Tea fell quiet.

"I didn't know much of Smolder at that point. From his refusal of our arranged marriage, I knew him to be a kind pony, perhaps even a gentlepony, maybe even a friend, but I wanted to know how a pony that was to be named King did not have the ego to go with it." Princess Sapphire continued.

"Could you imagine Smolder with an ego?" Tea asked with a humorous smile.

"If he _did,_ have an ego, I might have frozen him solid that night, but I'm sure his inflated ego would have burned through the ice regardless." Princess Sapphire remarked with a small smile of her own.

Princess Sapphire and Tea fell quiet again.

"So… what did you find out about Smolder?" Tea asked after a while; feeling curious herself.

"From what Princess Cadance had told me, Smolder had a very hard life growing up, and the events that led to him being crowned King." Princess Sapphire replied.

"From what I know, he had a pretty lonely life." Tea mentioned to her.

"A pony that never knew his mother, brothers that kept him at arms-reach, and a father- a father who _hated_ him! Who beat him and tried to kill him! All because he was _kind_." Princess Sapphire said looking rather upset at the idea.

Tea was pretty surprised to hear it herself during her time with Smolder on the outskirts of Ponyville on the day of his Coronation. She never saw the scars or the bruises Smolder had from that battle, but from the pain in his voice she knew it hurt quite a bit.

Princess Sapphire had gone quiet for a few moments; she seemed to be trying to compose herself and her thoughts. It was hard for either of them to imagine their own father's becoming such a cruel pony, or losing every moment they had ever spent with their mother.

"So many horrible things have happened to him, horrible things that seem to gravitate towards him, but he's remained kind through it all. I… I just want him to know that he's not… horrible." Princess Sapphire stated, unable to find a convenient word to use. "Am I… making a sense?"

"You want him to know you care about him." Tea told her.

"I d-d-didn't say that." Princess Sapphire said quickly; looking embarrassed.

"It's okay if you like him, Sapphire. It's pretty hard not to like a colt that's willing to face down a mountain sized dragon for you." Tea mumbled, flushing herself.

"I retract _everything_ I've just said! He's a _horrible_ choice in a somepony, incapable of a rational thought, and constantly gets himself into situations he himself cannot get out of!" Princess Sapphire stated sounding rather flustered.

Princess Sapphire's face was a mild shade of purple, having turned her head away from Tea, refusing to acknowledge her assertion of her having feelings for him.

"You could have worse choices in a somepony. I mean you _could_ always choose that one colt that you asked to pass the salt." Tea added with a smile.

Tea watched Princess Sapphire whip her back around, flushing a deeper shade of purple. It was hard not to giggle at her joke, but Princess Sapphire was fighting hard not to smile all the same. The two laughed at the idea, the log within the fire snapping, sending floating embers up into the chimney, while Princess Sapphire composed herself looking much better.

"You know, Tea, I wanted to –" Princess Sapphire began but stopped short at an odd noise that reached her ears.

There was a low hum that started to drift into the room, causing both Tea and Princess Sapphire to look around for the source. After about a minute or two the humming had stopped, which left them looking very confused to what it was.

"Did you hear that?" Tea asked looking over shoulder towards the large window of Princess Sapphire's room.

"I most certainly did." Princess Sapphire replied, getting to her hooves to investigate.

Princess Sapphire moved towards her rather large window, peering out from it to see what that strange noise had originated from, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Glancing back towards Tea, Princess Sapphire shrugged her shoulders, having no idea what it could have been.

"Perhaps it was one of Floe's late night experiments. He's not very courteous when it comes to the late hour and the noise his research tends to make. I'll mention it to mother come morning." Princess Sapphire stated; assuming where the noise came from.

"It's getting late anyways." Tea mentioned with a yawn.

 **BAM!**

The doors to Princess Sapphire's room flew open with great force, within the threshold stood Floe, his horn brimming with magic having used it to make a grand entrance. Stepping into Princess Sapphire's room, looking very smug about what he was going to tell her, Floe whipped back his snowy mane trying to portray a sort of heroic pose many Knights had when returning from a victorious battle.

"Sapphire I have come with news of-"

"Have you lost your bucking mind?" Princess Sapphire hissed at him.

Princess Sapphire's magic had closed the doors to her room quickly, making as little noise as possible. The other residents of Castle Fjord were already shouting in their protest to the noise and the late hour in which it was occurring. Floe was picked up by the scruff of his cloak by Princess Sapphire's hooves, lifting him off the ground to speak with him face to face; he could see she was angry with him.

"I came here to tell you of an important discovery I made with the Obelisks." Floe retorted trying to wiggle himself free of her grasp.

"You can't just barge into a mare's room! You're a colt for crying out loud! What's wrong with you?" Tea asked in utter disbelief.

"All you mares ever do is talk about is colts while bad mouthing other mares. It's not like any of you are pretty enough to have any colt wanting to bust in and-"

"We're about to have an opening for a Court Wizard tomorrow, ours has just met his untimely demise." Princess Sapphire stated threateningly, her eyes burning an icy blue.

"I know where _our_ Obelisks are!" Floe shouted, sounding a bit worried Princess Sapphire was going to make good on her threat.

Letting Floe drop to the floor with a thump, Princess Sapphire's eyes returned to normal as she stepped back to let him live. Floe brushed himself off, there was no dirt or dust to speak of, but it was his way of acting calm and collected.

"Explain." Princess Sapphire demanded.

"Well, I'm sure the two of you overheard that humming sound a few moments ago?" Floe asked, sounding rather pompous about it.

"What of it?" Princess Sapphire asked sternly.

"Something has triggered a reaction with the Obelisks, it is unclear what it is, but our theory of all the Obelisks being somehow connected rang true tonight. Our efforts to find the Obelisks in our own area have been futile, because what I witnessed was an otherworldly glow coming from the White Walk." Floe informed her.

"It can't be there." Princess Sapphire remarked with a scoff.

"I'm telling you I saw the lights come from the White Walk!" Floe snapped at her; feeling his credibility being put into question.

"What is the White Walk?" Tea asked sounding confused.

"The White Walk is an area of the Frozen North we do not venture into. For it is an area where the clouds are so full it looks like a mirror reflection of the snow upon the ground, it feels like you're walking blank sheet of parchment. No pony or creature that has ever entered the White Walk has ever returned." Floe explained to her; looking rather smug with his knowledge on the subject.

"It is also rumored that the fabled Ijiraq spirit dwells within." Princess Sapphire added.

"That's just myth told to little Ice foals and fillies to keep them from wandering out on their own into the snow!" Floe shouted, looking rather upset by that name.

"What is a… Iga… Jiga…" Tea tried to repeat the name.

"The Ijiraq is a creature that kidnaps ponies, bringing them into the White Walk, and leaving them there to die. It is said to be malicious spirit, the tales of it changes through the ages, as some believe it to lure you in instead of physically taking you, keeping you lost for days until you freeze to death or starve." Princess Sapphire explained further.

"Since the Ijiraq _doesn't_ exist, we won't have to worry about it!" Floe declared, seeming to be unnerved by the mention of it.

" _If_ the Obelisk is within the White Walk, how do you plan to reach it?" Princess Sapphire asked.

"We can have Warrick and Summer Hearth create a path with their fire to mark our way. From this we can leave some of magical rocks as beacons to leave a trail to help find our way back; the rocks reacting to our magic even if they are buried from the snow. Once we find the Obelisks we'll send up magical flares for our Royal Pegasi Ponies to come and retrieve us. It will be an expedition of sorts, so we'll need some supplies, but judging by the lights that I saw it shouldn't be more than a couple of miles of trek." Floe told her.

Princess Sapphire contemplated Floe's plan, it was rather thought out. In a sea of white snow, the magical rocks would prove to be a beacon, and would react to their magic to which the stone would give off a magical pulse of their own; assuring them a safe route back.

"I would recommend taking Ms. Sparkle with us, along with her friend Fluttershy. Ms. Sparkle has proven to be quite skillful in magic, and from what I'm told Fluttershy has a way with animals which will be useful if we come across any wildlife." Princess Sapphire stated.

"What about us?" Tea asked sounding left out.

"What about you?" Floe asked looking confused.

"Floe and I are accustomed to this freezing temperature, Tea. With the Hearth siblings we'll have sufficient heat to aid Ms. Sparkle and Fluttershy through the White Walk, but I'm afraid that we cannot take you along with us." Princess Sapphire stated to her.

"I… understand." Tea replied knowing that she'd just be in the way.

"More importantly, you must deliver your lantern to Wingston in the Ashen Fields, so that they may find a way to use it to open their portal when the time comes." Princess Sapphire added trying to make her feel that her contribution lay elsewhere.

Tea smiled at this, knowing that Princess Sapphire could easily send the lantern with some Royal Guard ponies to the Ashen Fields with it, but trusted her to make that journey herself.

"Oh! I nearly forgot I need to add more oil to it." Tea said coming to that sudden realization.

"Lantern?" Floe asked sounding confused.

"The lantern that Tea possesses carries a flame of King Smolder, the Obelisks there only respond to his flame, and reopens the portal that he used to enter the Void." Princess Sapphire explained to him.

Tea made her way over to the coffee table where her lantern sat, the flame inside still burning strong, although the oil was beginning to dip low. Princess Sapphire and Floe followed her, watching her retrieve a small can of oil from her saddle bag.

"Fascinating. I would never have thought the King to have thought so far ahead as to leave a piece of his own fire behind." Floe stated sounding amazed.

"I'm sure he didn't plan on it. It just happened to work out that way." Tea mentioned opening the small glass door and carefully pouring some oil into the basin.

"Of course Wingston and the other Flame Ponies will need to find a way to increase the size of this flame to sustain the amount of power the Obelisks will need to open the portal. I'm very confident that they will succeed." Princess Sapphire added.

"It might be best if they try to-"

 ** _ACHOO!_**

Floe abruptly sneezed, firing a sudden blast of frost from his mouth that struck the inside of the lantern; instantly extinguishing the flame. A thin layer of ice formed around the lantern, a small whiff of smoke fluttered from it. Both Tea and Sapphire stood wide eyed, mouths agape in silent horror at what had just happened as Floe rubbed his nose several times trying to rid himself of the tickle he felt.

"Darn goose feathers… I swear I'm allergic." Floe mumbled; sniffling a couple of times.

Floe looked up to see the extinguished lantern. The flabbergasted look on Tea's face, her outstretched hoof just seconds away from closing the little glass door. A shower of snowflakes was beginning to fall from Princess Sapphire's mane, her eyes beginning to a glow a bright blue once more as she slowly turned to Floe; her horn pulsing angrily.

"Oh buck." Floe mumbled.


	40. Chapter 40: Into the Snow (Part 1)

Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Spike, Tea, Chapel and Florence stood at the base of the staircase leading to the Noble Cliffside where Tea discussed the events that had taken place. After last nights 'accident', Floe was quite literally blue in the face after repeatedly apologizing to Tea for snuffing out Smolder's flame. Needless to say, it complicated matters considerably, they had no guarantee that any of the Obelisks, if found, would open and if they did if they could find the area in which Smolder had entered. Unfortunately for Tea, she was tasked with bringing this bad news to Wingston and the other Flame Ponies.

"So he just sneezed without covering his mouth?" Spike asked looking rather surprised.

"It was an accident." Tea reassured him; still looking very troubled by it.

"Oh dear, what are you going to do now?" Fluttershy asked quietly, but concerned.

"Princess Sapphire is having us fly down to the Ashen Fields to deliver the 'bad news' before we take the train back to Manehattan from Ponyville." Chapel explained.

"Where is Princess Sapphire?" Twilight asked curiously.

"She called an early meeting with her mother this morning to discuss what happened and get permission to enter the 'White Walk' to search for the Obelisks." Tea informed them; still sounding depressed.

"I guess that means we'll be heading back out into the snow." Spike groaned.

"The _snow_ will be the least of your troubles little dragon." A familiar voice wafted down the steps.

Every pony turned to see two well dressed colts descending the stairs towards them. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike were not acquainted with these ponies yet, but Tea, Chapel, and Florence had met them just last night.

"You again?" Chapel asked in disbelief.

"Them again?" Twilight asked sounding lost.

" _We_ are Lord Shannon, and Lord Borris. We also _live_ around here so you shouldn't be so surprised to see us." Lord Borris informed them.

"It's very nice to meet you." Fluttershy said quietly.

"This is Fluttershy. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistant Spike." Twilight offered them introductions.

"Ah, quite right, indentured servitude; we have a couple back home." Lord Borris nodded in approval.

"He's not a servant, he's my _assistant_." Twilight corrected them.

"Apologies. What does he help you with?" Lord Shannon asked sounding curious.

"I help Twilight organize all of her books, keep a detailed check list of all the things she needs to get done, and-" Spike began listing off his day to day duties.

" _Sounds like a servant to me._ " Lord Borris whispered to Lord Shannon who nodded his head in agreement.

"What do the two of you want?" Florence asked sounding bored with the conversation.

"Straight to business. Lord Shannon and I were thinking about what you had said yesterday, and it got us thinking that we shouldn't be relying on our family's accomplishments to garner respect." Lord Borris explained.

"So?" Chapel asked halfheartedly.

"We've come here today to inform Princess Sapphire that we are withdrawing our consideration as possible suitors to her." Lord Shannon informed them.

"Really?" Florence, Tea, Chapel asked in mutual surprise.

"Wait, what?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"After thirty-five dinners with Princess Sapphire, we're pretty confident that her interests lie elsewhere." Lord Borris noted.

"It took you thirty-five dinners to get the hint?" Chapel asked in disbelief.

"It does seem rather obvious now, doesn't it?" Lord Shannon remarked, with Lord Borris nodding his head in agreement.

Chapel quickly approached Lord Borris, taking a firm hold of his tie and jerking his head towards her.

"What's your angle, buster?" Chapel demanded.

" _Buster_ is my cousin, but I promise you that we are not alluding to ulterior motives with our decision." Lord Borris insisted, looking rather unnerved by her aggressiveness.

"We are also here to fund the expedition into the White Walk that Princess Sapphire has personally requested of us." Lord Shannon added, looking immensely worried at the damage being caused to Lord Borris's tie.

"Why would she ask _you_ two colts for such a thing?" Chapel grilled them again; tightening her grip on his tie.

"Believe it or not, we can show a certain amount of _civility_ towards one another when we are not socializing." Lord Borris stated, tugging his tie from Chapel's grip.

Chapel was rather surprised by that remark.

"We may _not_ be Princess Sapphire's first choice in suitors, but we _were_ the first ponies she turned to when she needed a favor." Lord Shannon added smoothing out Lord Borris's tie for him.

Florence and Chapel seemed taken aback. Their own mockery being thrown back at them.

"Lord Borris, Lord Shannon, thank you for coming under such short notice." Princess Sapphire said aloud, appearing from the corridor from the East Wing.

"My Lady, Lord Borris and I have already transferred the funds to the Treasury just under an hour ago. We were informed that your request for the necessary supplies will be addressed immediately." Lord Shannon informed her; the two bowing their heads to them.

"I'm deeply grateful to the both of you for your generosity." Princess Sapphire replied graciously; bowing her head to them as well.

"While we have you here, my Lady, Lord Shannon and I have talked it over and have decided to retract ourselves from the list of possible suitors that would concern yourself with." Lord Borris mentioned.

"Really?" Princess Sapphire asked looking surprised.

"In all honesty, Lord Borris and I don't really care for ice sculpting that much." Lord Shannon informed her.

"Deathly boring, really." Lord Borris confirmed.

"Excuse me!" Princess Sapphire asked in disbelief; her mane showering snowflakes.

Tea, Florence, Chapel, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Spike were all snickering to themselves as Lord Borris and Lord Shannon leaned into her about how _dull_ she was.

"Please don't take it to heart, my Lady, I'm sure some colt will finding your hobbies most interesting, but just not us." Lord Borris told her.

"Half the time it feels like we're leading the conversations at dinner anyways, and you're not much of a talkative pony. You bring the down the whole room with your disinterested glare you always seem to have. It's why we don't invite you to parties." Lord Shannon added on.

"Y-Y-You're the boring ponies!" Princess Sapphire accused them; pointing her hoof at them.

"Hoof pointing? Really?" Lord Borris asked shaking his head.

"We know the truth hurts, my Lady, but show some class. At this rate you'll be single forever." Lord Shannon informed her.

Princess Sapphire was a deep shade of purple from all the laughter that was coming at her expense, but ended up smiling just a bit at the whole idea.

"We wish you luck in recovering the King of Flame Ponies, my Lady." Lord Borris stated.

Lord Borris and Lord Shannon bowed their heads to Princess Sapphire, turning to leave, they approached Florence and Chapel specifically near the base of the stairs. Chapel eyed them suspiciously while Florence went for the look of indifference.

"We're having a party next week, all the High Nobles will be there and dignitaries from several regions of Equestria, and we're hoping that you'll agree to join us for such an event." Lord Shannon said to them.

Lord Shannon dug into his coat pocket, retrieving two very decorative invitations that were addressed to them specifically. Florence and Chapel were rather surprised by such an offer, looking at the invitations at a loss for words.

"We'd... really appreciate it if you would consider coming." Lord Borris tacked on, fiddling with his tie.

"You want _us_ to go?" Florence asked sounding rather confused.

"We'd understand if this is too forward with such a sudden request, but we would..." Lord Shannon began, trailing off; clearing his throat from embarrassment.

"We would like to... speak with you further." Lord Borris finished the thought; flushing a dark blue.

It was Florence and Chapel's turn to blush. It was rather sudden to be asked out, especially by two colts they had just made fun of the night before, but they seemed rather sincere about it. There was a sudden catcall from Tea that only had the four ponies flushing harder at the rather awkward situation they found themselves in.

"We'll... we'll think about it." Chapel mumbled, quickly taking the invitation from them.

* * *

Warrick Hearth was prepping his gear for the expedition into the White Walk. His heavy snow armor was going to be necessary if anything bigger than Ice Wolves were planning to attack them, but it was the least of his worries. He had agreed to the summons almost immediately when it was brought to him by Kirk early this morning, before taking it to his sister, Summer, knowing that she would certainly accept it on principle of protecting Princess Sapphire. Which meant that he was going to get an ear full from his bride to be, Wendy Sleet, who was already unhappy at his decision.

"So you just agreed to this mission without even consulting me, it that it?" Wendy asked him in a huff.

Wendy Sleet was a gray blue, her grayish mane was rather unique in that it billowed heavier than most Ice Ponies, giving off the appearance of her have straight hair with slight curls at the ends. Her cutie mark bore an almanac that had several snowflakes pouring from its pages. By many Ice Ponies she was considered to be one of the most beautiful mares in all the Noble Cliffside, but it was her intelligence that had intimidated many possible suitors.

Wendy originally had no interest in Warrick, not even romantically, but Warrick had fallen for her since they were just children. He never had the mind of a scholar like she did, his natural talent was being a perfect soldier, and it interested her very little. Eventually, Warrick was to lead his first mission into the Shattered Bluff as a surveillance team to review the state it was currently in. He confessed his feelings for Wendy before he left, garnering very little from her, knowing that she did not share such feelings for him, but wished him well on his mission.

A horrible storm gathered in the Frozen North, one so fierce it sheered the sides of mountain with its razor hail and buried whole villages in thick snow as it raged for nearly a week. Needless to say that Hearth's family was extremely worried about him, so much so that Wendy could only feel guilt for being so indifferent with Warrick's confession. When the storm had finally passed, it was unclear what had happened to Warrick's team, and it would be another week before any pony noticed a single flame with four very tired Ice Ponies slowly trudging their back in the snow.

An avalanche, caused by the storm had buried them under several feet of snow, trapping them in a icy prison. The Ice Ponies spoke of Warrick's heroics, digging through the snow, searching for his lost teammates, burning through ice nonstop trying to find them. Even when it seemed like they wouldn't find Soldier, Warrick continued to dig, even when his flames had dipped low, he used his hooves and kept searching. In the end, he found every last Ice Pony beneath the snow, and led them home.

Warrick had contracted something that Ice Ponies called Frozen Lung, which is when ice crystals freeze within a regular ponies lungs, and their body temperature melts it; drowning them in the snow. It was different for Ice Ponies, it had simply scarred his lungs, damaging them quite considerably, almost leaving him unable to breath. It took several doctor ponies, as well as the Court Wizard Floe to devise a cure for Warrick's condition, and in the end the treatment had worked. The remedy was a kin to the very same method to how Warrick had contracted it, the doctors had developed the remedy, and Floe introduced it to his lungs by means of burning it; having Warrick inhale it.

In his recovery, Wendy would visit him often, speaking to him like they had done in years passed. The attraction wasn't instant for Wendy, but overtime she found Warrick's selflessness, his drive, and his loyalty to those her cared for admirable. Eventually, Wendy found Warrick charming, if not a bit simple minded in his desires, which mostly concerned her being his special somepony.

"Summer is going on this mission into the White Walk, there is no possible way she'll refuse it as Princess Sapphire is heading this expedition. I won't let her go it alone." Warrick stated his case.

"So if I can convince Summer to stay, you'll stay too?" Wendy asked, looking for a loophole.

"I'm going regardless if Summer stays or not, there needs to be a Flame Pony to help keep those ponies from Ponyville warm and help create a path through the thick snow." Warrick informed her.

"This isn't some snowed over path to Yakyakistan, Warrick, this is the _White Walk_ there is a reason its forbidden to enter!" Wendy snapped at him.

"Princess Sapphire knows that no other Flame Pony would be willing to do this, that's why she's asking us. The White Walk is just stories to keep young Ice Ponies from getting lost, it never said anything about Flame Ponies." Warrick told her.

"I'll call the wedding off! If you don't stay here I'll leave you! Don't think I won't, Warrick, I'm losing you either way." Wendy shouted at him; a mixture of anger and worry in her voice.

Warrick stepped towards her, embracing her tightly, knowing how desperate she was to keep him here.

"When I get back, if you still want me, I'll request that every Royal Edict be brought to you first before every mission." Warrick told her.

"Just come back so I can hate you without having to worry." Wendy pleaded with him.

* * *

Summer Hearth awoke that morning with a summons from Princess Sapphire that she and Warrick were needed for an expedition into the White Walk. It was not a simple matter of trudging through miles of snow, but trudging through an uncharted and potentially dangerous area that gave Summer pause. Warrick was first to inform her of this news, reassuring her that he could handle this mission if she chose to stay behind, but this only made Summer more determined to go as well. Needless to say, her parents were not very keen on the idea of having her go on such a dangerous mission and Coal had drawn the short straw to try and talk her out of it.

"You don't have to do this. You just got back from a three day march through the snow; it's tiring for even the most experienced Ice Pony. Stay and rest. Warrick will be able handle this." Coal insisted.

"I am a part of the Royal Guard, incidentally Princess Sapphire's Royal Bodyguard, and I will not have my Lady venture into the White Walk without me." Summer replied determinedly.

"Just... be careful, sweetheart." Coal mumbled, stepping forward and embracing her.

"Don't worry about me , Daddy. I'll be alright." Summer reassured him; returning his hug.

Coal stepped back, still looking rather concerned for her, but knew that she was a lot like her mother and that once her mind was made up she wasn't going to change. Summer watched her father take his leave from her room, closing the door behind him on his way out. A part of her wanted to stay, for the White Walk was feared by every Ice Pony, herself included, but she wouldn't allow Princess Sapphire to enter alone.

Tightening the belt around her waist, her sword secured, another knock was heard from her door.

"Come." Summer stated aloud.

Half expecting it to be her mother coming to tell her a thousand reason why she shouldn't be going, it was instead her Uncle Hearth who appeared at the door.

"I'm just about on my way out, Uncle, I won't be able to chat for long." Summer informed him.

"Your father tells me you've decided to go on this mission." Hearth stated.

"Are you here to talk me out of it?" Summer asked curiously.

"It's hard for any parent to have _both_ children be sent somewhere dangerous." Hearth mentioned.

"I don't see them asking _Warrick_ to stay." Summer replied sounding a little annoyed.

"As a matter of fact I happened to overhear Wendy Sleet make a very heart felt plea for him to remain here." Hearth pointed out.

Summer and Wendy were two very different ponies. Wendy was by all rights a beautiful, intelligent, Noble Mare, that was molded to be the successor to of her father's estate and lands. While Summer was of course a Knight that abhor the life of a dainty Noble Mare, and preferred the life of a soldier. Their views ran parallel with one another, but were never on the same line. The argued in great lengths of all things political, social, and even about their personal lives at times. Even with all their differences, they held a mutual respect for one another.

"He won't do it. He's too much of a hero. Besides, since I'm also in this mission he won't let me go it alone." Summer replied sounding bitter about it.

"You'd rather go alone?" Hearth asked curiously.

"I'd just like one chance to prove to everypony that I'm just as good as Warrick is, but whenever something comes up they ask Warrick to handle it." Summer stated, picking up her cloak from her sheet of granite.

"Warrick is more experienced than you." Hearth informed her.

"It's hard to become experienced when you're never given the chance to gain any of it." Summer replied.

"If you're wanting to prove-" Hearth began.

"You and Warrick get along very well, because you share a lot of things in common, but I'm not like you Uncle. I'm like my father; overshadowed by the prodigy that is the eldest sibling. I'm sorry, Uncle, but you don't know what it's like to be ignored and have to stand in somepony's shadow ." Summer stated fastening her cloak in place.

Hearth didn't respond. Summer headed towards the door to leave, Hearth stepped in front of her to block her way.

"My granddaughter used to think the way you do. That need to prove yourself, but I feel your reasons are different then hers. She doubted others while you doubt yourself. Through the help of some very good ponies, she was able to learn what it meant to be a good leader, and was able to prove it through her actions when it mattered most." Hearth explained to her.

"I don't _doubt_ myself." Summer said, refusing to acknowledge it.

"It is from your self-doubt that every pony worries for you; none more so than your family. You're still trying to find your place in this world, and that is a lot to ask of a Flame Pony in a world of snow." Hearth continued.

Summer looked away from him; it was as if her Uncle could read her mind. Hearth smiled warmly at her, knowing she was much more mature than Ray was when dealing with this sort of thing.

"You may feel that we don't share much in common, but you are a Hearth. Our line can be traced as far back to the time of Lord Smoke, to our ancestor Maul, the first to fight for family, home, and friend. That line is still being drawn, it is a clear line that gives evil pause, and shows ponies where we stand. Find your line, never waver from it, let it be clear that any who cross it will face opposition, and never forget where that line began; where it will lead to." Hearth told her.

"What if I make a mistake?" Summer asked quietly.

"Your older brother will be there to help you; it's what we do." Hearth reassured her.

* * *

Princess Sapphire walked with Tea, Chapel, and Florence towards the entrance of Castle Fjord. With the necessary supplies being gathered Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike had returned to their rooms to ready themselves for the expedition into the White Walk; knowing that the sub-zero temperatures would require them to be properly suited for the harsh environment. Unfortunately, Tea was still rather miserable to say the least, still clutching her unlit lantern and looking rather defeated.

"When you reach the Ashen Fields, let Wingston know we'll be in contact with him as soon as we gather every pony's report on their findings. In the meantime, we'll be searching the White Walk for own Obelisks. If we cannot open the portal in the Ashen Fields, we might have some luck with one of the others." Princess Sapphire stated to Tea.

"I should have just given you the lantern." Tea mumbled miserably. "It would have made things easier."

Chapel and Florence were attempting to comfort Tea who clutched her extinguished lantern looking very depressed. Tea had barely gotten any sleep that night, the anxiety of having forever trapped Smolder within the Void gnawed at her like a dragon eating gems.

"Nonsense! I insisted that you come with me Castle Fjord, and it is _Floe's_ fault for what has happened." Princess Sapphire informed her; her voice venomous at Floe's name.

"Everything is ruined now." Tea stated.

"We will find another way to make this work, Tea." Princess Sapphire reassured her. "I promise you."

Tea felt Sapphire's hoof firmly take her shoulder. Tea looked at her, seeing her confidence and gentle smile she had for her. Tea found herself smiling back at her. Last night's time together had really opened Tea's eyes to what sort of pony Princess Sapphire was, and to Tea she had become a very good friend.

"After I deliver this to the Ashen Fields, we'll probably head back to Manehattan." Tea mentioned looking back at Florence and Chapel who nodded in agreement. "When this is all over and… we get Smolder back… let's hangout again."

Princess Sapphire's face softened, she almost looked moved by what Tea had said, as if she was the first pony that had asked her to 'hangout'.

"But you have to have a sleep over with us in Manehattan." Chapel added.

" _After_ you tell every pony at school you're our friend." Florence chimed in.

"I… would like that very much." Princess Sapphire replied looking very grateful at the offer. "I think."

" _Ow! Ow! Ow!"_ Floe's pained voice started to grow closer.

Turning back around, every pony could see Lady Frost striding towards them with Floe in tow; her magic having a firm grip on his ear. Lady Frost looked rather peeved from what had occurred the night before, but it seemed like a motherly sort of way that she went about scolding him.

"Is he to be executed, mother?" Princess Sapphire asked in a cold tone of voice.

"Hardly, Snowflake. Although, there is something Floe would like to _say_ before Tea and her friends leave for the Ashen Fields." Lady Frost stated giving him a firm yank upon the ear to step forward.

" _I already said I was sorry."_ Floe hissed at Lady Frost; rubbing his soar ear.

"You will say it again and it better be sincere, or so help me I will ground you for an entire year with no experiments." Lady Frost warned him.

Floe was still just a foal, his expertise in magic didn't measure up to much with his immaturity, but even he seemed very remorseful for what had happened. Turning to Tea, not able to look her in the eyes, keeping his stare fixed on the floor, he bowed his head to her apologetically.

"I'm… very sorry for ruining everything." Floe said sounding somber. "Please don't let Sapphire kill me."

Tea had to smile at that. Stepping towards him, Tea gave him a firm hug; gently rocking him back and forth. Being a nurse, Tea had met many young foals and fillies that were either scared about an operation or upset for one of their family members being in hospital; she found that hugs were the best way to treat those kinds of things.

"It was an accident." Tea said to him. "It wasn't your fault."

Floe clung to her a bit. There was a quiver in his voice, a shake to him that Tea knew well when little foals and fillies wanted to feel secure in another's embrace.

"Thanks." Floe mumbled to her.

Tea stepped back. Floe seemed like he was trying not to become emotional, while Lady Frost drew her wing around him and pulled him close to her. Lady Frost was a mother first, and a Queen second; informing Floe of his need to be more mindful about the things he did. Princess Sapphire didn't look very happy at Tea's quickness to forgive him, but it wasn't _her_ lantern that he had snuffed out.

Princess Sapphire, Tea, Florence, and Chapel stepped out into the cold winds of the Frozen North, the Royal Carriage awaiting for them to board and bring them to the Ashen Fields. Their winter clothing already thinly layered with frost, which had them chattering from the cold, but it was only for a short while before they were on their way. The Royal Soldier Ponies loaded up their luggage to the back of the carriage, taking care to securely fasten it before take off.

Just before boarding the carriage, Florence and Chapel hugged Princess Sapphire, thanking her for allowing them the chance to come to the Frozen North, and putting up with them. Princess Sapphire reassured them that their time here was welcomed by her and encouraged the idea of having them visit again at some point. They boarded the carriage leaving Tea to say her goodbyes to Princess Sapphire; she could see how cold Tea already was, but she seemed determined to say something.

"P-P-P-Please-" Tea stammered from the cold.

"You have nothing to worry about, I will find Smolder and bring him home." Princess Sapphire reassured her.

Tea set her lantern down, hugging her tightly, to which Sapphire seemed rather surprised by.

"Please take c-c-care of yourself, S-S-Sapphire. I d-d-don't want to lose you t-t-too." Tea stammered.

Princess Sapphire felt herself hugging her back, smiling at the idea of Tea worrying for her. Tea stepped back, doing her best to smile without chattering her teeth, Princess Sapphire smiled reassuringly helping Tea into the carriage. Closing the door to the carriage, Princess Sapphire looked towards the Royal Pegasi Guards if they were ready to go; seeing them nod their response. Stepping back, the carriage lurched forward, picking up speed down the rampart before soaring up into the sky heading south towards the Ashen Fields.

* * *

Tea, Florence, and Chapel were crowded near the window of the carriage; taking some last looks at the Kingdom of the Frozen North. Each of them felt that they would be back again at some point, but it was still sad for each of them to have had their visit cut short. Settling in for the several hours it would take to reach the Ashen Fields, the three mares huddled close together to try and keep warm.

"I s-s-swear, the next time we come here I'm bringing a polar suit." Florence muttered, teeth chattering.

"I-I-I don't know if Lord Borris and Lord Shannon would find you all that attractive in that get up." Tea muttered with a smile.

"W-W-We're not in-in-interested in them!" Florence stammered, face beginning to flush.

"Are y-y-you still going to go to their party?" Tea asked curiously.

"O-O-Of course! You'd b-b-be crazy not too. They're going to have a bunch of rich and famous p-p-ponies over." Chapel stated, excited about the idea.

"Besides, w-w-we b-b-borrowed some of Princess Sapphire's dresses." Florence added.

"Y-Y-You stole them?" Tea asked in disbelief.

" _Borrowed_ Tea, there is a difference." Chapel informed her.

There was some turbulence that shook the carriage a bit, it wasn't anything serious, but it rattled them enough to loosen their hold on their jackets; letting precious warmth escape from them. Shivering in silence for a while, finding it hard to talk with their teeth chattering, the rays of the sun started to peek out from the snow clouds bathing the carriage in the warmth of its rays.

"S-S-So is the Ashen Fields as p-p-pretty as the Frozen North?" Florence asked curiously.

"It's w-w-warmer." Tea replied.

"Who's Wingston by the way?" Chapel asked looking confused.


	41. Chapter 41: Into the Snow (Part 2)

On the outskirts of the Arctic Bluff sat a iron framed sled that carried several saddle bags worth of provisions, metal chains fastened like reigns, and two ponies with a dragon bundle up quite warmly. With the help of Lord Borris and Lord Shannon, Princess Sapphire's requisition for this expedition was completed within a couple of hours. It included the heavy snow gear that Twilight, Fluttershy, and even Spike were currently sporting to keep them as warm as possible. The weather was rather fair for the time being, the temperature was below freezing, but it was of little annoyance to them now, especially with Warrick and Summer Hearth being there to provide them with extra warmth. Every pony watched Princess Sapphire and Court Wizard Floe standing off to the side saying goodbye to Lady Frost who seemed rather confident with them, but it was clear that she was rather worried for them.

"You look out for one another, do you understand me?" Lady Frost asked them.

"We'll be fine, mother." Princess Sapphire replied sounding mildly annoyed.

"I'm more worried about Sapphire leaving me in the White Walk the first chance she gets." Floe stated, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Don't tempt me." Princess Sapphire hissed glaring at him.

"If you two don't start getting along right this second, I swear by Celestia I will ground the both of you!" Lady Frost snapped at them.

Princess Sapphire and Floe flinched at her threatening words, falling silent and staring down at the snow. Lady Frost sighed at the trouble they were sure to cause along the way, but she knew that the other ponies would keep them from getting out of hoof.

"You're lucky that I'm even letting you go out there, because I know that your father wouldn't have let you." Lady Frost pointed out to them.

"Then why _are_ you letting us go?" Floe asked curiously.

"Because I know he would go charging into the White Walk to find you and wouldn't stop until he did. Your father is dependable that way, but I sincerely hope that it won't come to that." Lady Frost replied confidently.

"We should get going, we have a long way to go." Princess Sapphire remarked.

Lady Frost hugged Sapphire endearingly, reminding her to keep an eye on Floe and to be the mature one. Floe was next, earning himself an even greater hug that immediately caused him to struggle against her grip. Princess Sapphire headed out to the sled, signaling to the Hearth siblings that it was time to get under way.

"Watch out for your sister, Floe." Lady Frost said to him; easing out of her hug.

"She's _not_ my sister." Floe stated sounding annoyed at the notion.

Floe hurried off, rushing past Sapphire to get to the sled first before blowing a raspberry at her. Princess Sapphire proceeded to magically throw some snow in his face which caused Floe to start whining about the dangers of ice shards getting into his eyes. Warrick and Summer fastened the chains around their armor, beginning to drag the sled out towards the tundra, a couple of miles away would be the edge of the White Walk, and the location of the Frozen North's Obelisks.

Lady Frost watched them for awhile, wrestling with her feelings of going after them, tagging along, or stopping them all together. As Royalty, Lord Tundra and herself used to tell Sapphire what she needed to do, how she needed to do it, and a part of her knew it was time for her to make those choices for herself; even if it meant that they could possibly fail. It was a part of growing up, a trust that she had for her little Snowflake, but most importantly Lord Tundra wasn't due back from two more days.

The trek across the frozen tundra was a rather smooth ride. It was mostly ice and slush, making rather easy for the sled to glide along. Warrick and Summer's flames were burning a bit stronger then usual, providing Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike with a constant breeze of warmth. Princess Sapphire and Floe walked at the sides of the sled, it was to protect Twilight and the others, but it was mostly to separate the two of them for the time being.

"If you need a break don't wait to say something." Warrick mentioned to Summer.

"I can handle it, _sir_." Summer mumbled.

"You don't have to call me sir, Summer. I'm just-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know; just make sure you're pulling _your_ side of the sled." Summer cut him off.

Warrick nodded his understanding. There was a couple of minutes of silence between them, just the sliding of the metal against ice and the hoofsteps in the snow could be heard. Summer could feel her anxiety kick in, she knew Warrick meant well, that her shortness with him was just her jealousy of him making an appearance, and that he was only concerned for her because of her three day trip. There was no telling how difficult the snow was going to become the closer they got to the White Walk, and it was only a matter of time before either one of them was going to grow tired.

"So... how did Wendy take it?" Summer asked after a while.

"She's called off the wedding." Warrick replied.

"Again?" Summer asked curiously. "She's got to find something new to threaten you with."

"Please don't give her any ideas, I'm in enough trouble when I get back home as it is." Warrick mentioned sounding rather disheartened.

* * *

Spike was admiring his thermal suit, it was specially made for young foal or filly, with minor modifications for his tail and scales; it even had a built in scarf that covered hit face. Twilight and Fluttershy had doubled upon the winter coats they had received from the seamstress ponies back in the Ashen Fields with the generous thermal suits given to them by Princess Sapphire. Each one brightly colored purple and yellow, respectively, to make them stand out in the snow. Even with the subzero temperatures, they were rather comfortable in their suits, and the added warmth of the Hearth siblings flames really made a difference.

The frozen wasteland didn't even phase Floe or Princess Sapphire, they walked unhindered as if it were a stroll through the park. Spike climbed over some of the provisions to get closer to the side where Floe walked, laying himself down atop a satchel and folding his arms beneath him; watching him closely. Floe glanced over at the Spike, trying his best not to seem phased by his staring, but after a couple of minutes he started to crack.

"What?" Floe asked sounding bothered.

"What's it like being a Court Wizard?" Spike asked curiously.

"What?" Floe asked now feeling confused by his question.

"You're just a kid and you're like... the most powerful magician in the Frozen North; what's that like? Is it hard? Does every pony depend on you? Do you do parties? Cause I'd like to have a magician for my next birthday." Spike questioned him.

Floe smiled smugly, feeling that he had a chance to brag about himself.

"You _could_ say that I'm something of a savant when it comes to magic." Floe mentioned sounding proud.

"You're a _servant_?" Spike asked looking sorry for him.

"Not a servant! A _savant_!" Floe snapped, flushing slightly. "It means I'm a learned pony, one that has incredible skill and knowledge in a particular study; in my case it's magic."

"How did you get to be so good?" Spike asked curiously.

"It just came naturally to me. What seemed complicated to many ponies was very easy for me to comprehend." Floe told him. "The Royal Family and Castle Fjord rely on _me_ to solve any and everything magic that they might require."

"Aren't _you_ part of the Royal Family?" Spike asked curiously.

"Only because Lady Frost _forces_ me; they're not my family." Floe stated.

"You don't like being part of their family?" Spike asked sounding surprised.

"My _real_ family abandoned me when I was a baby at the doors of Castle Fjord. The Royal Family felt responsible for me so they took me in, but we're not a family; we're just doing our jobs until we have to pretend to be one." Floe remarked sounding bitter about it.

"Pretend?" Spike asked, sounding confused.

"Forget it." Floe mumbled.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better I was hatched from an egg by Twilight; I don't know who my _real_ parents are either." Spike told him.

"Don't you want to find out who they are?" Floe asked curiously, looking intrigued by this.

"I don't know, I mean, I never really thought about it that much. Twilight has always been there for me and I never really felt like I was missing anything." Spike confided to him.

"I'm not missing anything. Nothing at all. I'm fine by myself; all by myself." Floe remarked sounding defensive.

Spike could see that Floe was struggling with something and thought it best not to push it any further. Glancing up from Floe, something caught Spike's eyes that made him smile wide.

"PENGUINS!" Spike shouted pointing his claw.

Every pony stopped to look towards the direction in which Spike was pointing to see several dozen penguins waddling their way across the frozen tundra. Summer groaned at the sight of them, but Princess Sapphire looked rather glad at the discovery.

"Ms. Fluttershy, would you be so kind as to try and communicate with the penguins to discover anything useful for our expedition?" Princess Sapphire asked.

"Of course, I've always wanted to meet a penguin." Fluttershy replied softly, stepping off of the sled.

"Summer, would you accompany Ms. Fluttershy?" Princess Sapphire asked looking her way.

"Yes... my Lady." Summer sighed unhooking the chain from her armor.

Fluttershy and Summer walked off together towards the group of penguins, their approach had every penguin turning to greet them in a series of small squawks that accompanied them. Spike was starting to wish he had brought his camera to catalog this expedition, but noticed how solemn Floe had become. Climbing back over the provisions, Spike tugged on Twilight's thermal jacket to get her attention.

"What's up, Spike?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Twilight, I think something is bothering Floe. I was asking him stuff about his family and he said that he didn't consider Princess Sapphire or her parents to be his. I'm worried about him, he still just a foal and these sort of things can really bother ponies his age." Spike informed her.

"I think Princess Sapphire should be the one to talk to him about this." Twilight replied, looking over at her. "I'll go mention it to her."

Stepping off of the sled, Twilight walked over to Princess Sapphire who was surveying the area looking for any sign of other animals that might be walking around.

"Princess Sapphire?" Twilight asked aloud.

"Yes? What is it, Ms. Sparkle? Do you require more warmth?" Princess Sapphire asked, sounding concerned.

"No, I'm actually quite comfortable; thank you. I was hoping to talk to you about something." Twilight replied to her.

"Of course, what is it?" Princess Sapphire asked promptly.

"It's about Floe and-"

"We're done talking." Princess Sapphire stated abruptly looking rather annoyed.

Princess Sapphire turned her back to her, continuing her survey of the frozen tundra as Twilight stepped up beside her to push the issue.

"Look, I know Floe messed up, but that's not what this is about. Spike told me that Floe doesn't think you two are family, and that seems to have stirred up some feelings in him." Twilight informed her.

"He's right, we're not family, we simply treat him like he is." Princess Sapphire stated coldly.

"He doesn't believe that you are though." Twilight pressed her concern.

"I can't _force_ him to believe anything, if that is what he wants to believe than that is his choice." Princess Sapphire stated firmly.

"Look, Princess Sapphire, I've read that Ice Ponies _used_ to be cold, bitter, and unfeeling thousands of years ago, but I wasn't aware that it stuck around for _this_ long." Twilight stated rather harshly.

Princess Sapphire gave her a rather cold stare, not liking what she was insinuating.

"Like it or not, you're the closest thing he has to a sister. He may be a Court Wizard, a pain in the neck, and likes to think he has all the answers, but he's _still_ just a foal. Relation or not, you're all he's got and he doesn't believe he has even that much right now." Twilight said to her.

Princess Sapphire's face softened, Twilight could see that she struck a cord with her. Twilight had spent enough time with Princess Sapphire to know that she was much too caring, even under that stern exterior, to hold a grudge; especially against her _brother._

"I will speak with, Ms. Sparkle." Princess Sapphire said to her. "And thank you."

"Of course." Twilight said with a smile nodding her head.

* * *

"Squawk... Squawk... Squawk."

"You say that there is a popular bear up ahead that knows more about the White Walk?" Fluttershy asked curiously.

Fluttershy and Summer stood among the dozens and dozens of penguins. Summer tried to put on a friendly smile, but it quickly disappeared when a few penguins regurgitated some half eaten fish for her to eat. Fluttershy was busy listening to one of the penguins squawk about what was to come.

"Fluttershy, was it? Can we go now? I'd rather not have to eat some penguins lunch." Summer hissed through her teeth at her.

"In a minute, this very helpful penguin is just telling me about some of the things its seen in the White Walk, and some of it sounds very important." Fluttershy stated quietly to her.

Summer stepped back as another penguin upchucked his lunch in front of Summer; she groaned at the sight of it.

* * *

Princess Sapphire strolled over to Floe who was staring down at his hooves. She sat herself down next to him, watching him slowly turn away from her, trying to avoid looking at her. Taking a deep breath, Princess Sapphire took a moment to think of what she wanted to say, and reminded herself that Floe was _just_ a foal.

"What happened last night... was an accident. I _was_ angry with you, but what's done is done. You're more well versed in the Void Lore than I and we'll need your help if we're going to save King Smolder." Princess Sapphire began. "I... _need_ you to know that I _do_ care about you; so does mother and father."

Floe refused to turn around.

"You _are_ part of this family, Floe. Mother wanted me to keep it a secret until your birthday, but she has filled out the necessary paperwork to have you as their _legal_ adopted son, and my... adopted brother." Princess Sapphire told him. "Of course it will require your consent."

"You don't want me as your brother, do you?" Floe asked sounding bitter.

"I find it hard to believe that _you_ want me as your sister." Princess Sapphire retorted.

"My family didn't want me. I'm not surprised you don't either." Floe mumbled.

"We don't know _why_ your family left you at our doorstep. There could have been many reasons for it, but you need to understand that-"

"I found them." Floe cut in sounding shaken.

"What?" Princess Sapphire asked sounding rather surprised.

"My parents. I found them." Floe repeated quietly.

"W-W-When? How? Why didn't you tell us?" Princess Sapphire asked sounding concerned.

Princess Sapphire could see Floe rub his nose, his breathing labored from how emotional he was becoming, but he refused to turn around and let her see him like this.

"Why would I tell you? You would have helped me pack the minute I mentioned it." Floe mumbled. "You never liked me."

"That is _not_ true." Princess Sapphire stated firmly. "We have our differences, but you are important to me."

"You don't have to worry, my parents don't want to anything to do with me either." Floe said sadly.

Princess Sapphire had just about enough of this 'pity party' Floe was currently throwing for himself. Taking him firmly by the shoulder, she spun him around, tears running down his face, but surprised by her forcefulness.

"You can sit there and pretend that no pony _likes_ you and frankly it is _really_ hard to like you at times, but if you think for one second that I care _nothing_ for you than you are the stupidest Ice Pony in all of the Frozen North." Princess Sapphire told him, sounding rather stern with him.

Floe's crying had ceased. He was in shock at Sapphire's blatant words.

"Aside from mother and father raising you, nurturing you, and _loving_ you, I would like to remind you of the pony that stayed up with you every night whenever you had a nightmare. Those days when you had the Cold Pox and stayed by your beside reading you stories until you fell asleep. The pony that stayed up late quizzing you on your Academy Exams on old Pony Magic so that you could be _considered_ for the job of Court Wizard. And don't even make me mention the pony that had to stand in line for twelve hours to get you tickets to that concert featuring 'Colts Who Cry' while _you_ were stuck in a meeting." Princess Sapphire told him almost threateningly. "Because if you _have_ forgotten the pony that did all those things for you, than maybe _you're_ the one who doesn't want anything to do with us!"

Princess Sapphire released her grip on him, watching Floe's face begin to look rather meek, seconds away from breaking down again.

"Now, you're going to sign those papers _our_ mother is going to surprise you with on your birthday. You are going to act surprised so she won't know that I had already told you, and you will become the little brother I always wanted." Princess Sapphire stated to him.

Floe's bottom lip started to tremble, trying to force himself not to cry, closing his eyes as tears streamed down his face and nodded his head in agreement. Princess Sapphire's wing reached around him, pulling Floe close to her, hugging him tightly; feeling him clutch her tightly and beginning to sob.

"I... would like it very much if you were to refer to me as your _sister_ from now on." Princess Sapphire said to him; gently stroking his mane with her hoof.

Floe nodded his head several times against her chest; still trying to calm himself down. Glancing over at the sled, Princess Sapphire could see Twilight nodding her own head in approval of Princess Sapphire's way of handling it. Spike was blowing his nose on a one of the satchel bags, having become rather emotional himself, and even Warrick wiped his nose trying to clear his throat from getting choked up.

Fluttershy and Summer were making their way back to the sled. Summer looked rather relieved that the penguins had not offered them any fish to take on their travels, and Fluttershy seemed very content on having met a rather informative penguin. The crunch of the snow beneath their hooves had reached Floe's ears, he pulled away from Princess Sapphire to try and compose himself so they wouldn't see him cry. Luckily, Princess Sapphire stepped in front of him to hide him from them for the moment, looking at the expectantly.

"Were you able to learn anything?" Princess Sapphire asked hopefully.

"Oh yes, Rupert was _very_ helpful." Fluttershy reported softly.

"Rupert?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously.

"Rupert is the name of the penguin that told me we were all going to be lost forever in the White Walk and never be heard from again." Fluttershy stated quietly.

Every pony stared at her in surprised shock at her calm demeanor of telling them this news.

"I should also mention that Rupert _also_ told me how we _won't_ get lost forever in the White Walk and never be heard from again." Fluttershy added with a smile.

"What must we do?" Princess Sapphire asked with a relieved sigh.

"Rupert said that there is a creature within the White Walk known to them as the Faceless One, or as Ice Ponies know it as the Ijiraq. If we can convince it to let us go, it will give us a special stone that will help us find out way back." Fluttershy replied softly.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Twilight asked.

"Rupert said the polar bear that lives near the edge of the White Walk who could tell us more." Fluttershy said pointing further ahead.

"We should get a move on then." Warrick stated.

Summer returned to the front of the sled, hooking the chain back up while Fluttershy climbed aboard. With a firm pull, the Warrick siblings had the sled moving once more with Princess Sapphire and Floe following the sled from behind.

"Please... don't tell the other wizards I listen to 'Colts Who Cry'." Floe mumbled, flushing at his own words.

"You're lucky I'm your sister." Princess Sapphire stated with a smile.

* * *

It was another hour before they reached a rather large mound of snow where the sleeping polar bear beneath it roused from its slumber. Fluttershy had chosen to approach it on her own, worried that the flames of Summer and Warrick beside her would upset the polar bear. Every pony watched as the polar bear growled, moaned, whined, and seemingly mimed to Fluttershy the answers to the questions she asked of it. This went on for almost two hours, which had every pony lazing about and suffering from the boredom it brought. Eventually Fluttershy had returned, the polar bear walking off down the edge of the White Walk to find another patch of ice to sleep upon.

"What did it say, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked sounding interested.

"Benny had a lot to say. Did you know that polar bears also like to ear honey? Not to mention that they both enjoy hibernating for long periods of time, but just not during the same season. Rupert and Benny have also been friends for nearly two years after they both got stuck to one another from some sticky tree sap that Benny had accidentally rubbed up against near the base of Mount Everhoof." Fluttershy shared with her.

"I... had no idea." Twilight replied looking rather unsure of what that had to do with anything.

"What about the White Walk?" Summer asked getting to the point.

"Oh, yes, well Benny said that there is more than just the Faceless One that lives within the White Walk. He's heard strange noises that come from the White Walk every now and again, and warns us not to go." Fluttershy told them.

"But we have to." Warrick replied.

"Benny says if we still plan to go into the White Walk, we will be at the mercy of the Faceless One, and that only if we are honest with ourselves do we have the chance of convincing it to let us go." Fluttershy stated, climbing onto the sled.

"Being honest with ourselves?" Spike asked sounding confused.

"We'll have to cross the bridge when we come to it." Summer stated.

Every pony stood as the threshold of the White Walk. It was the most accurate title it could have carried. The ice beneath their hooves turned to the powdery white snow, the dense puffy white clouds high overhead stretched forever in almost every direction. There was no discernible landmarks, no mountains, no hills, just the white oblivion that stretched out before them.

Floe climbed atop the sled, digging through one of the satchels for one of the magical stones they brought along to act as there 'bread crumbs' to find their way back out of the White Walk. The stone itself pulsed dimly a soft blue, but with a bit of magic brimming from Floe's horn the magical stone started to shine a bright red that stood out quite a bit among all the snow around them. Dropping it behind the sled the magical stone slightly embedded itself into the snow, Floe nodded in assurance that the stones were going to work.

"The White Walk is a dangerous place, we do not know what we will find, if anything, so if any pony wants to back out now, this is their last chance." Princess Sapphire stated to every pony.

Every pony look a bit nervous about entering the White Walk, but no pony spoke up about turning back. Nodding her understanding, Princess Sapphire motioned for the Hearth siblings to continue on. Floe rode along with the sled, digging out another stone, focusing his gaze at the back of the sled, stirring his magic to see the magical stone he left in the snow and the one in his hoof react; once they were far enough away from the first stone Floe would drop the next one.

Slowly the sled and the ponies disappeared into the White Walk. Everything had become still and silent. The sound of crunching snow filled the air. From beneath the snow a massive skull of a buffalo, horns six feet wide, emerged out from the snow. Its body was hunched over, cloaked in fur, hundreds of branches skewered through it, and black smoke wafting through the wood. Its massive arms pulled close to its body, skin blackened and blue, with three thick fingers sporting splintered fingernails upon each hand. A soft clicking echoed from it, staring down at the hoofprints leading into the White Walk, as it tapped the magical stone that pulsed a soft blue. With a savage screech the creature rose six feet into the air, standing on large ostrich like legs, before sprinting off into the White Walk to give chase.


	42. Chapter 42: Into the Snow (Part 3)

The White Walk seemed endless. There was no discernible land mark in the snow, the horizon blended with the ground, it was like walking on a blank canvas; only growing tired with the cold.

Summer and Warrick Hearth led on, pulling the sled through this white world, leaving naught, but tracks in their march. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike huddled closer together, the wind was beginning to pick up, the air was getting harder to breath, and the scarves of their hoods were being drawn over their faces; naught but their eyes to be seen.

Floe had his attention focused on the trail they left behind, pulsing magic from his horn to see how far the last stone had placed before dropping another one into the snow. Princess Sapphire walked on, unimpeded by the cold, scanning the area for signs of anything, watching the winds whip themselves into the beginnings of a storm.

"How far have we gone, Floe?" Princess Sapphire asked after awhile.

"I've dropped thirteen of these stones about every hundred yards, give or take a couple on how well I could see the last one." Floe replied to her.

"We're getting close to be about a mile into the White Walk now." Princess Sapphire gathered from some quick math.

"It certainly doesn't feel like it." Spike said through his scarf.

" _Speak for yourself._ " Summer muttered under her breath.

Summer and Warrick had been pulling the sled for nearly four hours now. With their heavy armor, weighted sled, the trudging of the snow, it was tiring work, but Warrick knew that Summer would rather collapse from exhaustion than appear weak to any pony. Needless to say, Warrick was starting to feel tired as well, and knew that if he pushed himself harder he would be too exhausted to help out in a fight.

"We should stop here for a while." Warrick stated slowing to stop. "I could use a rest and something to eat."

Princess Sapphire nodded in agreement. Flaring her wings, her horn flashed with a blue light, creating a wide birth of a magical sphere around their encampment, pushing all of the snow to the edges of the magical field. Beneath them was icy rock, frozen dirt, but it wasn't going to stay that way for long. Summer and Warrick unhooked themselves from the sled, each taking a direction, walking the perimeter of the area Princess Sapphire had marked out, breathing flames upon the ground to melt the ice.

The winds were beginning to pick a now, carrying with it snow that pelted the magical sphere, lightly coating it with ice crystals; it prevented the freezing winds from getting through. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike assisted with the provisions while Floe busied himself with a map of the Frozen North; attempting to calculate their current position. With the food rations being shared with every pony, they feasted upon some rather sugary treats to help them with the cold journey ahead. While Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike stuck relatively close to Summer and Warrick, Princess Sapphire shadowed Floe watching him map out their location.

"Thanks for agreeing to come along on this expedition." Twilight said gratefully to the Hearth siblings.

"I really didn't have a choice in the matter." Summer replied chewing on a rather scrumptious candy bar.

"Were you forced to come?" Fluttershy asked sounding a bit concerned.

"Summer is Princess Sapphire's Royal Bodyguard; she is charged with keeping her safe." Warrick explained to them. "She takes her responsibility quite seriously."

"I'm _also_ part of the Knights." Summer added, feeling that it was prevalent information.

"Did you always want to be a Knight?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Ever since my mother put me a in dress, I knew that being a Noble Pony wasn't for me." Summer replied, cringing at the thought.

"I'm guessing not many mares choose a Knight's life, huh?" Twilight asked.

"While the Knighthood is all inclusive, it is still a rather taboo thing for mares to enlist in a rather colt dominated profession by many Noble Mares. There is a stigma that still remains for them to be more ladylike, rather than being a boorish soldier." Warrick explained to them.

"Well that doesn't seem very fair." Fluttershy stated softly.

"It doesn't bother me anymore." Summer stated quickly; making it rather obvious that it still did.

"Well I think it's admirable that you chose to pursue your dream, even if some ponies have such a narrow view of it." Twilight said to her.

Twilight's words really seemed to have positive impact on Summer as she smiled wide at the thought of another mare approving of her choices.

"Did _you_ always want to be a Knight for the Frozen North, Warrick?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"It's a family tradition for the eldest sibling to enlist as a Soldier Pony. Although, Warrick didn't need any pushing to join, Dad would fill his head with all the _great_ things our not-so-dead Uncle Hearth did since he was a foal." Summer explained to them.

"What can I say?" Warrick asked nervously; rubbing the back of his fiery mane. "I was named after him; it only seemed right."

"He's also getting married." Summer added.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked in soft excitement.

"Yeah well, you know..." Warrick mumbled feeling rather embarrassed.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Spike asked, ribbing him with his elbow.

"It's Wendy Sleet, the General's daughter. He's marrying into his bosses family." Summer mused at his uneasiness.

"Is it an arranged marriage? Like the one with Smolder and Princess Sapphire?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Might as well be." Summer replied.

"It's not that cut and dry." Warrick chuckled nervously. "Wendy and I grew up together, it wasn't an arranged marriage, but our family was sort of hoping it would."

"What about you, Summer? Do you have a special some pony?" Spike asked suspiciously.

"Not a chance." Summer remarked quickly.

"What happened to that one colt... Wendy mentioned it a while back... Bleak! Yeah! What happened to-" Warrick thought back on it before a cupcake was magically lodged in his mouth.

"He is not my special some pony!" Summer shouted at him; flushing furiously.

No pony wanted to push the subject of Bleak any further, getting the idea that Summer wasn't in the _mood_ to talk about it.

Princess Sapphire reviewed Floe's charting of their progress into the White Walk, noticing the area in which he thought the Obelisks to be.

"How much further so you think it is?" Princess Sapphire asked curiously.

"Maybe a few hours time, depending if my mapping is correct." Florence replied folding up the map.

"I have confidence in your sense of direction, Floe." Princess Sapphire said encouragingly.

Floe smiled to himself. Enjoying the small amount of praise that Sapphire had given him. Princess Sapphire turned towards the the others, ready to get them on the move once again. Sapphire froze for a moment, something had caught her eye off in the distance of the White Walk, it was a yellow flames rushing towards her; a flame very familiar. Closing her eyes for a moment, shaking her head a bit, she opened them again to see that it had vanished. Feeling that it was merely a trick of the eye from the excessive white that surrounded them, Sapphire dismissed it and carried on.

"Alright every pony, we need to start moving again." Princess Sapphire announced aloud.

Every pony was beginning to pack up their supplies, setting things back onto the sled when a soft clicking started to grow in size over the prevailing winds. The clicking started to flutter through the air, turning into a groan of stressed wood before three shrill shrieks cut through the wind with a chill. Everypony was rather shaken by the sudden cries, looking about in confusion by the noise.

"What in the hay was that?" Summer shouted aloud withdrawing her sword by means of her magic.

Spike stepped back behind Twilight, clutching his claws together, feeling rather frightened as he looked about. From blank whiteness of the snow, Spike's eyes locked with a figure staring back at him, it was there for a moment before the head slip back beneath the snow.

"Twilight! It's there! It was right there!" Spike shouted clutching her leg and pointing off into the snow.

Every pony turned to look at where Spike was referring to, seeing nothing but the snow. The clicking continued, it was swift, growing closer and further away at times as if it was drawing near and retreating just as quickly. Princess Sapphire and Floe slowly retreated back to the sled scanning the snow for what was making the noise.

"What is it?" Warrick asked looking about.

"It could be the Faceless One that Benny and Rupert were talking about." Fluttershy whispered sounding unnerved.

"Ijiraq..." Floe whispered visibly frightened.

"Whatever it is, it won't be getting-" Summer cut herself short as the clicking suddenly stopped.

There was a silence that hung, the winds had stopped blowing, the snow drifting softly to the ground as every pony refused to breathe and break the stillness. Princess Sapphire eyes caught sudden movement in the White Walk as an all too familiar rock sailed through the air and bounced towards the sled. Lifting her hoof, Princess Sapphire stomped upon the sliding rock to see that it was one of the magical stones that Floe had been leaving behind.

"Is that..." Summer whispered looking worried at the stone beneath her hoof.

"We're in trouble." Princess Sapphire muttered sneering at the stone.

"It can't be! I've been watching them since we entered the White Walk!" Floe stated flashing his horn with magic.

The magical stone beneath Princess Sapphire's hoof started to glow, along with the one Floe had last left a couple yards out, but the next stone glow came to Floe's left. One by one the magical stones started to radiate a light, one several yards away from the next, before the last stone began to glow; it formed a perfect circle around them.

"That's not possible!" Floe shouted in horror.

"We are in _serious_ trouble." Summer mumbled.

"Every pony remain calm. Stay close to one another and don't hesitate to say something if you see _anything_." Warrick stated to every pony.

A muffled shriek echoed across the White Walk, chilling every pony to the bone, unable to figure out where it was coming from. Summer looked about, straining her eyes to see anything within the White Walk around them. Her eyes met with a large buffalo skull that simply sat within the snow, black smoke rising from the eyes, and it made her hesitate to say anything. Moments later the patch of snow beneath the skull exploded upward, the massive creature adorned in furs and thousands of branches charged towards her with great speed on freakish bird like legs. It took only seconds for the Ijiraq to reach Summer, its massive arm shot out towards her as she stood frozen at the sight of it.

A sudden flash of flames flourished past Summer, Warrick slamming hard into the Ijiraq, knocking it from reaching her. The two stumbled through the snow before the Ijiraq's got to its enormous legs, clutching the struggling Warrick in its hands before bounding off into the White Walk with him.

"Warrick!" Summer screamed.

The figure of the Ijiraq was already gone from everypony's sight as Summer took off after it. Princess Sapphire was quick to cut her off halfway out, tackling her to the ground, and impeding her from running off on her own. Spike clung to Twilight as Floe clung to Fluttershy frightened by what had just occurred.

"Let go of me! It has Warrick!" Summer shouted in a mix of anger and fear.

"We have to stick together! You'll only get yourself lost out there!" Princess Sapphire shouted back at her trying to keep her from getting up.

Summer struggled against Princess Sapphire, her anger mounting with her flames, but collapsed into the snow sobbing. Princess Sapphire kept her grip on her, trying her best to comfort her.

"Fluttershy said that if we're honest with ourselves we can convince it to let us go." Princess Sapphire whispered comfortingly to her.

Summer got to her hooves, her anger was still present, and her sobbing was subsiding. Princess Sapphire let go of her slowly, knowing she was asking a lot of her to remain here instead of going after Warrick. Brushing her nose with her hoof, Summer's horn started to shine as her sword was lifted out of the snow and erupted in flames.

"I'll convince it alright." Summer muttered menacingly.

Summer flared her mane as she turned to walk back to the sled, her fiery sword floating beside. Princess Sapphire wanted to say more to her, she knew she couldn't promise Warrick's safe return, but even as her friend she needed Summer to remain focused on her sense of duty to the others. Before Princess Sapphire could take a step after Summer, the clicking had returned, and it caused every pony to freeze. Sapphire looked about, trying to figure out where the creature would strike from next as Summer flames roared in her anger.

"Where are you?" Summer shouted out loud looking around for it.

"Don't antagonize it!" Spike hissed at her.

Floe stepped off of the sled taking a few steps towards Princess Sapphire who stood off on her own looking off into the White Walk.

"Sapphire! Come back! We need to stick together!" Floe shouted to her.

"Just remember every pony, the Ijiraq needs to be convinced to let a pony go, and to do that you have to be honest with yourself." Fluttershy stated softly.

"W-W-W-We g-g-g-got nothing to hide." Spike stammered nervously.

The arms of the Ijiraq suddenly sprang up from the ground on either side of the sled. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike screamed from its sudden appearance as Summer lunged at its arms, her sword cutting through the air, but the Ijiraq's flailing struck Summer to the side with ease. The hands closed over Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike who shrieked in terror as they were pulled beneath the snow. Floe staggered back in horror, falling into the snow trying to scoot himself away from where the sled once was.

"Twilight!" Princess Sapphire shouted in terror rushing back over.

Floe scrambled towards Princess Sapphire, clutching her leg, his breathing irregular from his fear as Summer picked herself up off the ground hissing her frustration at her inability to stop it. Princess Sapphire's horn started to brim with magic, preparing for when the Ijiraq would appear once again. Turning to look at where the Ijiraq had fled before, Princess Sapphire's eyes fell upon a familiar face that had her in disbelief.

"Smolder?" Princess Sapphire asked quietly.

"What?" Floe asked looking around at to what she was looking at it.

Princess Sapphire could see that Smolder was galloping towards her, his yellow flames rippling off of him, a smile strewn about his face at the sight of her. Sapphire stepped towards him, unsure of why or how he was here, but wanted nothing more than to reach him. The second the magic from her horn disappeared, the body of Smolder quickly faded, a forest of branches appeared from the snow, the massive buffalo skull appearing before her as its bird like legs stomped towards her.

A blast of fire impacted the Ijiraq followed by a loud thud that had it sliding to a stop. Looking down at its chest, Summer's fiery sword lodged within it. The Ijiraq puzzled at what it was, plumes of black smoke seeping from the entrance the sword had made. The sword magically vanished as Summer appeared before the Ijiraq in its place, having transferred herself in its place with her magic. Summer let loose a ferocious blaze of fire, igniting the Ijiraq on the spot, as it shrieked wildly flailing its arms at the fire. The Ijiraq pounced upon the Summer as the two disappeared beneath the snow without a trace.

"Summer!" Princess Sapphire shouted in horror.

The snow remained still. Princess Sapphire quickly starting to dig into the snow, hoping beyond hope that the Summer was just buried beneath it, but it wasn't so.

"She's gone, Sapphire!" Floe shouted to her.

Floe was pulling up Princess Sapphire's arm trying to get her away from the spot. Tearing herself away from the patch of snow, Sapphire pulled her wing around Floe, refusing to let him leave her side, and Floe wasn't complaining about it. Everything had fallen apart so quickly, Sapphire was feeling that this had been a disaster from the start, and was beginning to doubt that there was anyway out of this.

"What are we going to do?" Floe asked in a frightened tone.

"I... I..." Princess Sapphire said slowly, unsure of what to do herself.

Two large horns broke the snow, the buffalo skull rising up, fur intermixed with the branches left clumps of frost packed with it, its massive arms holding its hands together. The sounds of its clicking grew louder, standing before the two of them ominously rubbing its grotesque hands together. Princess Sapphire stepped forward, her horn shining once more as Floe pulled on her to step back.

"If you require convincing than listen carefully to my words!" Princess Sapphire said aloud to it. "We seek only to help another pony, one trapped in a dimension that can only be accessed through Obelisks within this region! I swear to you that whatever it is you seek to protect will remain unsullied! Release my companions, and I will ensure that your region is never entered again _after_ our task is ended!"

The Ijiraq did not respond to her words. Its hands continuously sliding over one another, its empty eyes sockets of the skull billowing black smoke that quickly got swept away in the wind. Its sudden shriek shook the ground, the force of its cry knocking Sapphire and Floe back off their hooves. Its large bird like legs launched the Ijiraq into the air, its leap carrying it right over them as it dropped down hard upon them.

Princess Sapphire's horn gleamed to cast a viable shield, but the sudden upheaval of wind emanating from Floe had her turning to look at him. His horn was blazing with magic, the force of his power creating a typhoon like winds that tore his hat and cloak from himself. Floe's magic sparked sending a flash of light across the area, everything froze within a single moment of time, the snow hung within the air, and the Ijiraq hung motionless just above them. Sapphire was still free to move about, while Floe struggled to contain this spell, it was a time spell that only select Unicorn Ponies were capable of achieving.

"I can't hold this... for long... you need to get away... Sapphire." Floe struggled to say.

"I'm not leaving you, Floe!" Princess Sapphire stated, stepping towards him.

The force of Floe's magic pushed her back, now bearing his teeth down hard to keep his magic focused. Sapphire attempted to approach him again, but the snow that hung in the air started to slowly move once again. The wind was beginning to pick up as Floe's magic started to fade.

"Don't do this, Floe!" Princess Sapphire shouted pleadingly.

"I won't let it... hurt my... sister." Floe mumbled defiantly.

The light from Floe's horn slipped away, the Ijiraq's body dropped out of the air, time once more moving before the impact of its landing blasted snow and rock in every direction. Princess Sapphire shield herself from the debris, the snow settled, the rocks falling where they may, as Floe and Ijiraq were gone from her sight.

Princess Sapphire sat in the snow, unable to think of single thing to do or say. She was alone in the White Walk now, there was no reason for the Ijiraq to come for her, she was already; she had already lost everything. Try as she might, the thought of the others some how overcoming the Ijiraq, convincing it to let them go, didn't seem viable to her. Sapphire had tried to reason with it, to convince it that their reason for being here was a peaceful one, but it did nothing to sway it.

"This is all my fault..." Princess Sapphire muttered to herself.

Everything around her was white, there was nothing to be seen, except for a soft wisp of yellow fire that drifted over her shoulder. Sapphire looked over her shoulder to see Smolder yet again, still smiling, and standing before her. Getting to her hooves, Sapphire _knew_ this was the Ijiraq trying to distract her once again.

"Please, I beg you, give me my friends back." Princess Sapphire pleaded with it.

Smolder simply smiled at her.

"I don't know what you want from me! I've told you truth! I've been honest with you!" Princess Sapphire shouted angrily at it.

Sapphire stared at him, the smile never leaving Smolder's face. A feeling buried deep down inside her was beginning to stir, her own words seeming to echo around her, and she realized what she had to do; she had to be honest with herself. The clicking had returned, Princess Sapphire could hear snow beginning to stir from behind her. Looking back she could see the Ijiraq standing several feet away, watching her contently, rubbing its hands together once more. Turning back around, Smolder still stood before her, still smiling, and she found herself feeling confused.

"You're not... the creature... are you?" Princess Sapphire asked staring at Smolder.

Smolder closed his eyes, his head nodding ever so slightly.

The image of Smolder began to thin, fading away into the snow, as Sapphire felt her heart racing. It was weird feeling, a sort of warmth that swelled in her heart, and it seemed to give her such comfort at that moment. Sapphire turned back towards the Ijiraq who was now standing before her, its hands still sliding over one another in anticipation to what she was going to do next.

"You're a spirit." Princess Sapphire began. "A very old spirit."

The Ijiraq's hand ceased, the clicking stopped immediately at her words.

"You want us to be honest about who we are, you need to be convinced, and now I now I understand _what_ you are. Father always spoke of how our ancestors found enlightenment through spiritual means, leaving behind our brutal nature, and _you_ were the one that helped them achieve it." Princess Sapphire stated.

The Ijiraq's branches started to creak, pieces of wood falling from its body. Princess Sapphire got to her hooves.

"This place, it is a haven for such spiritual things, it where our ancestors came seeking guidance, self-actualization, and not to get lost but to find our way." Princess Sapphire continued.

The Ijiraq's arms started to sizzle, its flesh beginning to melt away, its fur dropping in clumps into the snow.

"We were once a very spiritual, but our ways have changed much since those days. Our interests turned to statuses and wealth. Those that entered this region were frightened, not realizing what this place was, and demonized you as a malicious spirit. We turned into a _monster_ we all feared, and you became that monster." Princess Sapphire stated in disbelief.

The Ijiraq's massive buffalo skull slipped off its head, its massive bird legs withered away, its body slumping into the snow as black smoke rose from the body. Sapphire stepped back, watching the black smoke dissipate. Before her stood a mighty caribou, a reindeer, its body ethereal with the northern lights swirling within it, its massive horns seemed mimic the movements of the lights themselves. Quickly bowing her head to the spirit, Sapphire found herself awestruck by this ancient spirit that the first of the Ice Ponies had come to revere.

Slowly lifting her head to the spirit, Princess Sapphire could see it bowing its head to her as well, seemingly grateful to her for help in remembering who it was. The spirit stood before her, it was an unbelievable sight to behold, but it seemed to be waiting for something from her.

"I... still need to be... honest with myself then?" Princess Sapphire asked slowly; feeling her face flush.

The spirit nodded to her. Princess Sapphire felt herself flush at this.

"I kind of sort of..." Princess Sapphire failed to get the words out. "I guess I feel like I'm sort of..."

Princess Sapphire could see the spirit tilting its head at her expectantly.

"I... I think... I think he's... a _big_ stupid _dork_ that has caused me a lot of trouble with his foolish and incomprehensible need to do everything himself!" Princess Sapphire shouted at the spirit.

The spirit seemed taken aback by this, leaning back from her sudden outburst looking rather surprised.

"I still... sort of... like him..." Princess Sapphire mumbled; her face flushing.

The spirit nodded. It turned from her, walking away from the Sapphire as the White Walk around her started to suddenly gain some color. The world around her started to paint itself, the sky being filled in, the mountains were painting themselves, and the freezing winds were beginning to subside. Sapphire watched the spirit begin to fade away, the last of the White Walk being taken with it revealed two massive Obelisks in the distance. What was even more of an amazing sight to Sapphire was a group of ponies looking about as if they had no idea what had happened.

"Floe! Summer!" Princess Sapphire shouted in excitement.

Princess Sapphire galloped towards them. Floe had heard her shouting, rushing to meet her as she scooped him up in her arms and hugged him tightly. Summer was to busy hugging Warrick who was trying to convince her that he was alright and that he didn't remember anything after being taken away.

"What just happened?" Spike asked looking at his himself; patting his polar suit.

"You beat the Ijiraq, didn't you, Sapphire?" Floe asked in amazement.

"Did you really?" Twilight asked in surprise.

"The Ijiraq wasn't a creature, but a very old spirit that had become twisted over time. No pony here has had the teachings of spiritualism as I had, and that is why no pony could commune with it. I didn't realize that what I was seeing was a desperate cry for help from this spirit, revealing itself to me as Smolder, a pony I was already trying to save. Once I realized that it could only commune through a spiritual connection I began to realize what it was and what it needed." Princess Sapphire explained to them.

"What did it need?" Fluttershy asked sounding interested.

"It needed to be reminded of what it was. Just like we do from to time. Whether it be our loyalties, our friendships, or family, we shouldn't lose sight of what is important to us." Princess Sapphire stated putting her arm around Floe.

"So what did you say to the Ijiraq to convince it to let us go?" Summer asked curiously.

"W-What?" Princess Sapphire asked in surprise; flushing slightly.

"That's right, you had to be honest with yourself." Fluttershy remarked.

"N-N-Nothing said I had to be honest with _you_ ponies! Only with the Ijiraq!" Princess Sapphire said defiantly; turning her head in refusal.

" _Smolder and Sapphire playing on the ice, one kissed the other isn't that nice?_ " Floe began to sing dancing away from her. " _The news is spreading, there's going to be wedding-_

Princess Sapphire flushed furiously sending a wave of snow over Floe with her magic to cease his stupid little song as every pony laughed in amusement. As the laughter died down, every pony turned their focus on the Obelisks that stood ominously in the snow.

"We should get to work." Twilight stated as every pony nodded their head in agreement.

Floe popped up out of the snow, feeling excited about studying these Obelisks as every pony started to unpack the sled. A sudden gust blew by, fanning Floe's mane as his over sized hat flopped towards him. With a big smile Floe scooped it up, placing it upon his head as his eyes fell upon the ethereal caribou that stood off in the distance. Floe watched it for a moment, marveled by it, realizing that this was what Sapphire had seen, as it shimmered away.

"Floe, are you ready to get started?" Princess Sapphire called to him.

"Coming!" Floe shouted rushing towards her.


	43. Chapter 43: The Rekindling

Ghostly images of the Echoes walked through the fields of Ouroboros silently writhing in torment. Like wisps of smoke the Echoes were blown away with waves of sand cascading out from a powerful force. An emergence of blue and green light swept over the fields bringing color to the blackness. All originating from Mira who floated towards the ruins of Castle Naught with determined scowl strewn across her face.

Her neon green marking sizzling like a branding iron, her blue stardust hair was now twice its normal length, and trailing from her like smoke. Her mouth opened wide shrieking so loudly that it carried for miles. It was intended to be a challenge. A challenge she knew Null would not ignore. Her shriek was one of many that Null had heard countless ages ago when he emerged from the Valley of Shadows. The cry was a word in the Arcana language that translated poorly in the tongue of ponies. The closest translation any pony could come to was 'everlasting'. It was a word used to describe the light that resided within each of the Arcana, a light which had been taken from them, and the light that refused to yield. In response a bolt of lightning broke the sky, the following thunder trembled the air, and from the abyss the clouds of the Storm rose from the darkness.

The power of the Storm shook the Forgotten City where the remaining Void Walkers stepped out of the shadows to heed its call. Their eyes drew to the light of the Arcana approaching the ruined castle and the Storm which gathered there. Alone it flew to its most certain death to challenge the darkness once again. For it was the only creature willing to stand against Null's wrath, a creature who had struggled to endure, to strive, and to never yield. Her name was Mira, the Last of the Arcana.

* * *

Wick and Pyre walked side beside through a series of tunnels that wound deep down into the lowest parts of the Kingdom of Naught. The two periodically traded off on carrying Smolder. With his flame weakened to a mere fizzle there was not much either of them could do for him. Among flame ponies the loss of a pony's fire would mean certain death. Normally there are two ways this can come about. The first is having a pony's fire be extinguished in any manner to which the pony could not reignite or rekindle their flame. The second is old age. In Smolder's case, the fire he was left was just enough to keep him alive, but it would leave him in a comatose state if left untreated. The Twins knew of a remedy for this, it wouldn't be an easy to obtain, but it was all they had. For the moment, they Twins debated on what Smolder had been up to since their last meeting.

"What do you suppose Smolder's first decree was?" Pyre asked looking towards Wick.

"I'm sure it was something involving the restoration of the Kingdom or at least close to it."

"I was referring to a decree that wasn't something Wingston told him to do."

"No input from the old bat? That is a rather interesting question." Wick pondered to himself. "He probably told every pony not to eat rocks."

Pyre laughed aloud.

"Okay, okay. His horn. Before or after he entered the Void?"

Pyre bit his bottom lip. "That's a tough one, but I'll say after. Judging by how we found him."

"Fair enough. Your turn."

Pyre thought for a moment.

"Do you think Smolder has a special some pony yet?"

Wick snorted before laughing rather hard at the idea.

"I'd have to say he has some pony in mind, but hasn't told them yet."

"You don't think he'd have the courage to?"

"No, I just think he can't get past that dumb thing he always says. That 'Hi, I'm Smolder' thing he does whenever he doesn't know what to say."

Pyre laughed again. "I'd have to disagree."

"Really? You think he's got a special some pony?"

"Well, he's a single colt who's just been crowned a King. I'm sure a lot of mares took a shine to him."

Wick glanced back at Smolder with a smirk.

"So you're thinking that he's been approached by a couple of mares and perhaps one of them made a lasting impression on him?"

"It's just a thought."

The tunnel curved downwards, twisting its way further into the world where few would be able to find them.

"Do you think he missed us?" Wick asked.

Pyre looked at him rather surprised. Wick didn't repeat himself. He knew they both wanted that particular question answered, but then again they were worried to what it may be.

"I like to think he has. Even after everything we did and didn't do for him." Pyre remarked.

"He'll want us to go home."

"I'm sure he'll be insistent upon it."

"Would we be welcomed by every pony else?"

Pyre didn't respond right away. Their cruelty didn't just effect Smolder, it bled over to the kingdom and it's flame ponies. They were responsible for carrying out the Mad King's will, flexing their authority whenever they pleased, and bringing their father back from the Void. It was almost certain that their return would not be met with open arms, but residual hatred from what they had done.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough."

The tunnel let out into a large cavern completely devoid of light other than what Wick and Pure gave off. The light of their flames gave off hints of it being frequented by the Twins. It had two makeshifts slabs of stone to which they would sleep upon. Piles of slates beside each slab used to entertain themselves with chronicling their time within the Void. Etchings within the walls depicting tunnels and pathways the Twins had mapped out during their expeditions to find food. Interestingly enough, there was an entire wall dedicated to a two column chart that had drawings of what was good to eat and what wasn't.

"We've returned!" Wick announced aloud. "And you'll never guess what we've found."

In the darkness part of the cavern large clouds of black smoke rolled out before them. Large wings fanned open with a blaze of fire enveloping the hollow body of the Mad King. Rising his head from the raised rock bed he rested upon he narrowed his fiery red eyes upon them.

"Spare me your riddles." The Mad King hissed in boredom.

Pyre turned to reveal the unconscious Smolder slumped over his back. Almost immediately the fiery red eyes of the Mad King flared angrily. Bolting up right the Mad King's fire roared and engulfed himself in flames. He took one step towards them, fire raging in his throat ready to incinerate him.

Pyre stepped back as Wick stepped forward flaring his own mane to meet his father's challenge.

"Get out of the way!"

Wick spat fire upon the ground. "Or what?"

"You'll die with him!"

"Just try it!"

Fire plumed from the missing legions of his hide. It was clear that the Mad King was struggling with his anger. The rage that festered within him boiled over forcing him to spew his fire up into the air. Grunting, snarling, and spitting flames in his outrage the Mad King knew he had little choice than to back off. Traitors as they were the Twins were the only thing within the Void that the Mad King could trust. They had used each other to survive during their time within the Void and it was clear they still needed each other for their own devices.

Getting back down to rest the Mad King diverted his gaze from them. "Get him out of my sight."

"He needs your help, father." Pyre said approaching the rock bed again.

A cruel yet elated laugh escaped the Mad King, ringing off of the cave walls, and causing his flames to flare.

"I refuse."

"Smolder's flame is only just keeping him alive and he desperately needs to be rekindled."

"The life of the traitor does not concern me. Feel free to share your flames with him."

A sudden blast of fire struck the side of the Mad King's head and it had him turning to see the linger flames on Pyre's lips dissipate. The Mad King's eyes seared with fire, staring them down, but Wick and Pyre refused to let up.

"Don't fool yourselves into thinking that you can _force_ me to help him."

"You know that Pyre and I _cannot_ spare enough of our fire to help him. It would leave us in a similar state and Smolder would be lucky to regain consciousness."

"He is not my concern!"

"Your his father!"

"I am the King!"

The Mad King's voice shook the cavern. It was enough to have Wick and Pyre recoil from the flames that leaped from their father. Wick and Pyre fell silent, allowing the Mad King to settle his rage before attempting to converse with him again.

"Smolder could be of use to us." Pyre stated. "With him being an alicorn now, even you can't deny the possibilities this could present to us."

"You speak as if he would be willing to help is. There is no guarantee that-" The Mad King's words were suddenly drowned out by an echoing roar that rocked the cavern.

Each of them fell quiet. The cavern trembled around them as stalactites fell from the roof of the cave and shattered upon the ground. They knew what had been woken. The Twins, even the Mad King, lowered their flames at the sound of the Storm, and waited for it to pass.

"Something is wrong." The Mad King stated looking towards the ceiling.

"What? What is it?" Wick asked.

The Mad King's gaze fell to Smolder. His eyes flaring with fire. It became clear to him of how Smolder had lost his fire.

"So the Arcana is _still_ alive."

The Twins looked at one another in confusion. Pyre took a step towards their father. "What is an Arcana?"

"An opportunistic leech that feeds on light. It killed your mother and has most likely tried to kill your _precious_ little brother."

Wick and Pyre once more glanced at one another. It was unclear how much truth could be obtained from their father's words, but it did give a possible explanation to Smolder's predicament.

"What does this Arcana plan to do with Smolder's fire?" Wick asked.

The Mad King kept his gaze to the ceiling above, listening to the faint echoes of a battle reaching all the way down here into the depths of the Void. A rumbling was felt under their hooves, a series of tremors that grew in size mere seconds apart. An enormous quake ripped through the cavern, shattering the cave walls, splitting the ground, and crumbling the ceiling. Wick and Pyre moved to shield Smolder from the falling debris, but the Mad King acted first.

A flash of magic from his horn sent out a wave of red light that vaporized the falling rocks into piles of sand. Heaps of sand drizzled down upon them while the quaking began to subside. Wick and Pyre dug themselves out of the sand while tending to Smolder. The Mad King continued to gaze at the broken ceiling with great curiosity of what was transpiring up above.

"What's going on?" Pyre asked looking about the cavern.

"The two of you are going find out. Go to the surface and report to me your findings." The Mad King replied.

Whipping his fiery wings through the air, the Mad King blew the dust to the corners of the cavern and turned to face his sons.

"You don't _actually_ believe we'd leave you alone with him?" Wick asked.

"The traitor's presence here is not by chance. Whatever his purpose is, you can be sure that he intends to return to Equestira. _That_ will be our chance to leave this place."

Pyre scoffed. "You really think that we'd let you leave? That Celestia or any pony would let you return to Equestria?"

"This is _our_ freedom I speak of!"

"We are here by choice!" Wick spat standing up to him. "We did it to protect Smolder from you!"

The ground beneath the Mad King's hooves started to sizzle. His fire mounting from the anger he felt, only staving it off by the presence of the Storm that loomed over them.

" _If_ you want to keep your little brother safe from harm, we need to know what is going on, and that requires the both of you to find out what has happened up above."

"And how are we to keep him safe from _you_?" Wick asked.

"You don't."

"Rekindle Smolder and give us your word you will not harm him." Pyre demanded.

The Mad King could see his own stubborn determination in the Twins. It was pointless to argue with them.

Lowering himself back down to rest the Mad King wrapped himself in his wings. "I will not harm the traitor, but I will not rekindle him."

It was clear that a compromise was all Wick and Pyre were going to get from their father. The Storm was not something to ignore. It was necessary to find out what had happened up above that could have such an effect down here. Wick assisted in lifting Smolder from Pyre's back before placing him on the raised rock bed near their father. Neither the Mad King or Smolder stirred. It was clear that they would have to take it on their father's word to not harm him.

"We'll be back soon, father." Pyre stated aloud.

Wick and Pyre did not get a response from him, but their attention was on the unconscious Smolder. Each of them took a turn holding Smolder's hoof, a simple gesture to reassure him that they would be coming back. Offering him just a bit of their fire to him knowing that they'd have to attempt to rekindle him on their own. It was hard for them to leave Smolder with their father, although the climb to the surface would prove just as difficult, but the sooner they found out what had happened the sooner they could return.

The Twins entered one of the tunnels within the cavern that offered them the most direct route to other passages that brought them to the surface. These passages would be difficult to navigate, especially with all the enormous maggots that littered the area, but it was their quickest route.

"Do you trust, father?" Wick asked looking to his brother.

"I don't."

"And yet we're leaving him with Smolder?"

"Father would never admit it, but the Storm scares him. Smolder is his only way out of this place and that fact alone is what I trust."

"Do you think he will reconsider rekindling Smolder? It is the only way he will get what he wants."

"Father _knows_ that rekindling Smolder is unavoidable. His pride won't allow him to admit this to us, but he will rekindle him on his own terms."

Wick and Pyre walked on. The echoes of the Storm were faint, yet they were miles from the surface which only spoke of how powerful it was.

After a time, Wick smiled at a question he just thought of. "Do you think Smolder searched our rooms for his rock?"

Pyre smiled at the idea. "I have no doubt that he did."

"I can't recall which one of us had it last."

"I did. I hid it under the a loose stone near the back left corner of my room."

"Do you think he found it?"

"If its not there when I get back then I'll know Smolder was in my room without my permission."

* * *

Black smoke billowed from the Mad King, his flames searing with heat. The cavern had fallen dark again without Wick and Pyre there to illuminate the place. Smolder's weak flame did little more to illuminate him in the darkness while the Mad King's fire hid within the smoke.

After a time the Mad King's wing lifted to reveal his fiery red eyes glaring in Smolder's direction. Unfolding his wings he got to his hooves to see the unconscious traitor lying at the edge of his rock. The mere sight of him caused his fire to rage, the anger already swelling inside him. A flood of memories were rushing back to him now, the small cowering colt of red flame, the winged usurper of yellow fire, and now this unconscious horned nonsense that was clinging to life. All this did was make the Mad King rage in fury, spewing fire in every direction, forcing himself not to target the traitor. Beating his wings, roaring at his son at his mere presence, the Mad King drove his hooves into the rock bed nearly shattering it all together.

The upturned rocks had Smolder's limp body rolling over towards the Mad King. Smolder's hoof knocking against his father's. The softest of light illuminated from the Mad King's horn. Darkness was slowly bleeding into his view, the roar of his fire slowly being silenced, and the world started to fade.

The Mad King found himself standing in complete darkness, his flames illuminating countless shattered panes of glass that hung in the air around him.

 _"What is this place?"_ The Mad King looked about in the darkness.

A large shard of glass drifted towards him. His wing immediately swiping it away, only to pass through it. The shard grew larger, enveloping the Mad King before consuming him entirely. Nothing but darkness again, no forest of shattered glass to be seen.

His eyes met a small stone bassinet illuminated by a single beam of light I. The distance. A chill ran down the Mad King's spine, it felt like a familiar sight, one that he had buried deep down.

A single step echoed so loudly that it made the Mad King recoil from the sheer pain of listening to it. Another step generated an equally loud echo that reverberated for quite some time. Slowly, but surely, the Mad King stepped forward becoming used to drowning boom of his steps to reach the bassinet. Within it a small infant foal with small flickers of fire slept soundly.

In a flash the Mad King was transported back to Castle Char. The hour was late, moonlight bathing through an open window within the nursery. Looking back down at the bassinet, the Mad King found himself cradeling the infant foal in his arm. The infant nuzzled itself closer to the Mad King's chest. For a moment, the Mad King smiled feeling a wave of bliss washing over him.

 _"I wont let it take you."_

From this word the darkness began to shower gold coins all around them. Each one hitting the ground with such an explosive clang that it forced the Mad King to cover his ears with his wings from the pain.

 _"_ **Scorch** _."_

The coins continued to fall with each coin producing the repetitious boom.

 ** _"_ What is your treasure? _"_**

These words rose above it all. The showering of the coins had stopped. Lowering his wings the Mad King could see something stirring within the darkness. A memory that sent chills down his spine, an all too familiar fear that gripped his heart. Flames from the Elder Dragon's mouth spewed from between its teeth in the darkness.

 ** _"_ Give him to me. _"_**

The Mad King looked down at the infant foal still sleeping soundly.

 ** _"_ Or I shall burn them all. _"_**

 _"He's... my son."_ Scorch whispered.

 ** _"_ Give him to me! _"_**

The Mad King shielded the foal with his wing, drawing him away from the Elder Dragon.

 ** _"_ Give him to me! _"_**

 _"You will not take him from me!"_

The scales beneath the Elder Dragon traced with fire in the darkness. Its head leaning forward with the tremendous wall of fire that escaped from its jaws. The Mad King turned from the flames, shielding his son from the Elder Dragon feeling the flames consume them.

The Mad King lingered for a moment. Eyes shut tight from the impending pain that the flames of the Elder Dragon would bring, but it never came. Slowly opening his eyes the Mad King could see that he was once more within the cavern. A look of bewilderment about him. The roar of his flames were once more flaring from him. Attempting to raise himself from the ground he felt something odd within his arms. Smolder was nestled against him.

Fire from his hooves were dancing with Smolder's in the effort to rekindle him. The Mad King stared down at him, the feeling of anger slowly replacing the fear inside him. Smolder took a sharp breath, his fire flaring for a moment having grown a bit stronger as the Mad King recoiled from him. Flapping his wings hard the Mad King threw himself up and away from Smolder.

Smolder lay still. His flame still weak. The Mad King's breathing had become irregular, his rage mounting, but his thoughts were scattered. With his eyes burning like hot coals the Mad King let loose a roar that shook the cavern that caused his fire to envelope him. Fire spewed from his mouth, bathing Smolder in a flame so intense that it melted the rock bed around them.

With a snort the Mad King flicked his head away from Smolder allowing the fire to subside. The rock bed hissed from the heat while Smolder lay unharmed from his father's attack. The flames were being drawn into Smolder, his own fire beginning to flare before bursting to life and dancing wildly once more.

Smolder's breathing was more audible now and was resting soundly. The Mad King fell hard onto his knees, his own breathing now becoming labored. Parts of his hide cracked, his fire being replaced with more black smoke and the fire in his eyes wavered with each ragged breath. Dragging himself away from Smolder, away from the memories, the Mad King wrapped himself within his wings to allow his fire to fester once more.

"Smolder..." The Mad King whispered.

With his eyes closing the Mad King kept his gaze upon his son. Exhaustion forcing him into sleep.

"I would have burned them all for you."


	44. Chapter 44: Raging Fires Meet

Being knocked unconscious wasn't new for me. In fact, being robbed of my fire wasn't new to me either. First there was the river, followed by my time as a statue, when I wasn't getting enough sleep, the whole thing with the Elder Dragon, and now I could add being robbed of my fire by Mira to the list.

These were just some of the things I was thinking of while rousing from my sleep. It really didn't feel like any of my limbs wanted to work with me. The side of my face felt glued to the stone my head was resting on. I yawned loudly. Stretching my legs out as far as they could go, feeling myself tense up before letting myself go dead weight on stone again. Where I lay felt so comfortable that I was ready to just go right back to sleep without a second thought. That's when I heard a voice drifting over me.

 _"You're not going back to sleep, are you?"_

Rolling over I found myself mumbling. "I'm up. I'm up. I'm up."

I felt my arm and leg slide off of the stone realizing to late that I was on a raised platform. With my weight already shifting I found myself slumping to the sandy ground below. I was on my back. Eyes shut. Sprawled out on the sand in a dreary half awake daze.

 _"Get up, Smolder."_ This nagging voice ordered me.

The sand behind my head shifted from the weight of some pony standing over me. It was dawning on me that the voice wasn't Mira's as it had been for so very long, but another that I felt very at home with. Rubbing my eyes I stretched out once more trying to rouse myself again.

"Where-" A yawn interrupted me. "Where am I?"

" _We're_ in a cave. _You're_ on the ground. Does that help?"

Adjusting my eyes was difficult. Everything was just a big blur. I was staring up at a mixture of black and red standing over me against the backdrop of the cave. Rubbing my hoofs against my eyes I felt myself yawn again. Lowering one of my hooves I found myself being towered over by my father.

"Holy buck!"

My hooves kicked the sand uselessly while my wings flapped hard trying to pull me away from him. Rolling onto my side I kicked off the ground leaping away from my father in a frantic scramble. Digging my hooves into the sand I spun around flaring my flames ready to fight.

"Lower your flames, Smolder, I have no interest in killing you."

"That's not how I remember it."

The flames of my father were flaring, but that was normal for him and his attitude was rather subdued for the moment. Even with his eyes burning like hot coals it really did seem that my father wasn't planning on continuing where we had left off.

"Do you really believe our fight would have ended the same if not for my battle with Celestia and those other ponies beforehand?"

"Are you making excuses?"

"Just stating a fact."

Stepping away my father turned his back to me to step upon the raised rock bed. Still not feeling that I was completely out of harm's way I found myself looking about the cave from the corner of my eyes trying to figure out where I was.

"Where am I?"

"You've already asked me that and I have already told you."

My father whipped his wings, fanning the sand from rock bed before lowering himself down to rest. At this point I was willing to take a chance and lower my flames, but I didn't take my eyes off him.

"Tell me again."

"Look around you and tell me you cannot derive an answer from what you see."

I took a step back slowly drawing my eyes away from my father as I observed the cavern we were in. It seemed rather lived in and weirdly more homely than Mira's cave. The etchings on the wall, the stone cookware, and the bedding had my eyes widening in disbelief.

"When your brothers found you your flame were all but a flicker. They brought you here to keep you safe and to rekindle that flame of yours."

"Rekindle?"

"It is a manner in which flame ponies share fire with one another. It varies from pony to pony."

"So Wick and Pyre rekindled-"

" _I_ rekindled you."

It felt like all my fire had been drained from me again. I stared at my father, unblinking, almost frozen in the moment of what he had said.

"You... helped me?"

My father's eyes flashed a fiery red. "Do not fool yourself into believing that my motives were anything but my own. Your brothers would have extinguished themselves trying to rekindle you."

I felt puzzled by this. "Why are their flames not enough?"

"Your emergence into an Alicorn is not trivial thing, Smolder. The power you've inherited, albeit undeserving, has pushed you leaps and bounds ahead of your brothers. If not for my mercy you would not be awake at this moment."

This was the father I knew. He had his own reasons for helping me and I'm sure that it would only benefit him in some way. Nevertheless I couldn't help but realize that my brothers weren't here. It was hard to hide my eagerness in wanting to see my brothers again.

"Where is Wick and Pyre now?"

"Your brothers have gone to find out why the Storm has emerged and if they are not discovered or killed in so doing they shall inform us of what has transpired."

The feeling of dread gripped my heart for several reasons. It began with Wick and Pyre going anywhere near the Storm and the possibility of them walking right into harm's way. This train of thought reverted back to Mira's goodbye, knowing full well she was the reason for the Storm's awakening and using the power she stole from me to face it alone.

"Or perhaps you'd like to tell me why you are here to begin with."

"Mira's in trouble." I felt the words trickle from my mouth.

My father looked at me awkwardly while shrugging his shoulders at the name he did not recognize.

"She's the Arcana that took my fire to face the Storm."

"You've thrown yourself in with that leech?"

My flames flared. "You don't know her!"

"I know her well enough, but perhaps she failed to mention her part in your mother's unfortunate demise?"

His words did not faze me. Mira had already confessed it to me, but I have already forgiven her for what guilt she might have carried for it. My father seemed curious that the mention of my mother did not get a rise out of me and he was quick to assume the obvious.

"So," My father smiled amusingly. " The leech _did_ tell you of how she murdered you mother."

"She did not murder her!" I found myself stepping forward angrily.

"If not for her, your mother would still be alive, but her insistence on helping that wretched creature caused her to be consumed by the Storm." Spat my father.

"I guess you had _better_ things to do then to save her."

In an instant my father had leaped from his rock bed, roaring in his rage as he landed before me flourishing his flames in his fury. I could feel the heat from his glare, but I stood my ground against him. I wasn't ready to continue mixing words with my father. Mira was going to get herself killed, Wick and Pyre could be walking right into the middle of it, and here I was bickering with a pony who never cared for me.

"Don't you dare speak to me in such a manner!" My father snarled through his teeth.

"Then I guess we're done here." I mumbled to him turning towards the tunnel behind me I let myself out.

"Don't turn your back to me! I am your King!"

A wall of fire exploded from the sand before me. I whipped around to see my father with his horn ablaze with fire and magic. Anger pouring with every breath of flame that escaped him. I found myself stomping my hoof into the sand, my own horn gleaming with magic, drawing in the wall of fire to my own flames.

"You're not the King anymore!"

My words rattled my father, but not enough to give him pause. From his horn a beam of magic shot towards me. Raising my wings I conjured the magical shield that Mira had taught me. His magic impacted my own, clashing with a sudden explosion of light, but I was able to stand my ground. The intensity of his magic was subsiding, my shield faded revealing my father standing before me. My father's hoof struck me across the face sending me into the sand.

"As long as I breathe I will always be the King."

Surprising as it may seem I noticed that my father was holding back when he struck me. It was so surprising that I did not feel the need to retaliate. Rubbing the side of head I got back to my hooves feeling as if I had just been disciplined in some strange way by my father.

Spitting a small flame onto the ground I found myself feeling rather bitter. "A King with no kingdom or ponies to rule is not a King."

"Amusing that you seem to be without either as well."

"You have no idea what I've been through!" I felt myself snap at him.

"Tell me then," My father humored me. "Share with me the tales of your tenure as King."

The flames of my mane seared. It felt like my father was mocking me, knowing full well that my time as a King was relatively short compared to his, and oddly enough it was rather similar. I found myself wondering if I should tell him of what had occurred, feeling reluctant to share with him the slim chance that I would hopefully leave this place, but wanting him to know the troubles I had faced.

"There was... an Orc." I started off slowly. "It claimed to be the son of Grog and swore to put an end to flame ponies."

"I'm surprised it lived as long as it did within those caves."

"Well, it survived and raised another army of spiders using about six spider queens. It ended up poisoning the Great Dragon Char with cave spider venom that would eventually send it on a rampage."

"Rather resourceful of it."

"Yeah well, that Orc broke into the castle and nearly killed General Hearth, Argo Fleece, Burning Sand, and Wingston." I stated not liking my father's praising tone.

"Nearly? Well that's disappointing." My father scoffed.

Flames leaped from my mane over my father's words. "Shut up!"

"It angered you didn't it, Smolder?"

With my flames still flaring I watched my father's face turn deathly serious.

"Yeah, of course it did."

"It tried to take something you loved, something you cared for, and anger gripped your heart like a vice. Words were not going to change things were they? You wanted more, much more. You wanted to make him suffer, to bleed, to feel the pain it had caused you."

I was getting worked up again. My heart pounded in my chest from my father's words. Every word of it was true, I wanted that Orc to suffer, I wanted it to feel the pain I felt, and I came close to fulfilling that desire. I thought back to that day, remembering the feelings I felt and the guilt that came with it. I had asked for Mira's help in showing me where the coin had been, seeing the Orc hurt Wingston nearly pushed me over the edge, but Mira brought up a memory of my own to remind me of who I was.

"I was angry. Angrier than I had ever been." I admitted to him. "But I still tried to talk to the Orc. To get it to work things out."

I watched as my father laughed wildly at me. Feeling embarrassed, I did my best not to show it as he calmed himself gazing down at me in amusement.

"Did the magic of friendship stir it's heart into giving you a hug and becoming remorseful for what it had done?" The sarcasm flowed thick from his words.

"We ended up having to fight it, it's spiders, and the rampaging feral Elder Dragon."

Once more my father threw his head back in a fit of hoarse laughter at my expense. I felt my face burn, his taunting digging into me like a knife, feeling every laugh like a punch to my gut.

"It is clear you came out the victor of this battle, we know of the Elder Dragon being pulled into the Void, but what of this Orc you speak of? Did you kill it?"

"I... came close."

My father rolled his eyes. A look of disappointment on his face.

"That was after I faced the Elder Dragon." I added.

I could see that I had peaked my father's curiosity.

"You faced the Elder Dragon?" He questioned me.

"I intercepted a blast of its fire and I... ended up consuming it."

I felt my hooves suddenly being lifted into the air. My father's horn brimming with magic, forcing my arms up to his face so he could have a better look at them. He lifted my arms so high up that I was pretty much barely touching the sand with my back legs. Taking careful notice of the cracks in my hide along my arms from the intensity of trying to contain the Elder Dragon's fire, my father released his magic letting my drop back to the ground.

"So, you've tasted dragon's fire."

"It was... unbelievable. I had never felt such power before." I admitted to him. "It was like..."

I hesitated to respond. I could remember the feeling of that power, that rage that festered within me, and the results that came with it. I had nearly lost myself in that fiery power and it was Mira again who reminded me of who I am.

"A flame pony of your size could not sustain that amount of fire and live to tell the tale. Even with your horn you would have been nothing but a pile of ash. How did you cheat death this time?" My father asked.

"I wasn't driven mad by power like you were for starters."

"Power? Is that what you think happened? That I was driven mad by power?"

My father's voice had dropped an octave, it was stern, authoritative, but it wasn't cruel. I could tell that I had said something I shouldn't have and my father wasn't going to let it go. I was still slowly backing away with my father matching me step for step.

"It desired gold, my humiliation, it reveled in my subjugation, and threatened to kill every pony if I ever failed to give him any of it. Not even I could match the power of an Elder Dragon, but I knew of it's greed and sated it's sadistic appetite. I did this because that was my duty, as King, but the day soon came when it wanted more."

"What did it want?"

It was my father's turn to fall silent. It may have been hard for any other pony to tell the subtle changes in his flames and eyes, but for me it clear as day.

"Forget it." My father dismissed it.

Watching my father turn his head away from my I moved over trying to get him to come clean.

"What did the Great Dragon Char want? Why turned you into a Mad Pony?"

My father refused to speak. His flames were mounting again, his own anger rising from the memories and my insistence. If my father was telling the truth, this was my only chance to find out what really had happened to him. A part of me was almost hoping that I could figure out a way to bring him back.

"What did the Elder Dragon want? What did you have to give to it?"

His head whipped around, my father snarling at me. "Silence yourself, Smolder! Do not ask me again!"

"You ruined my life! The lives of every flame pony! All because you couldn't give that stupid dragon what it wanted?" I shouted in disbelief.

"I had given everything I had to give to that dragon, but it wanted your _life_!"

The last word echoed throughout the cavern. It etched its way into my brain before burying itself into my heart.

I found my mouth slowly dropping. "M-M-My life?"

"I, Scorch, son of the Wise King Phoenix, heir to throne, ruler of the Ashen Fields, King of the flame ponies, and Lord of Fire was asked to give up his newborn son to the Elder Dragon Char or watch it burn Equestria to the ground. Believe it or not I wasn't about to let it have you. Do you know why that is, Smolder?"

I took a moment to think. "Because you're the King?"

"Because I was your _father_!"

It felt like my whole life up to this point had finally started to make sense. My father went mad trying to protect me from an Elder Dragon. I was the reason. Whenever he looked at me I was just a reminder of what he once was and what he had to give up.

"You went mad trying to protect me?"

"It was my duty to protect you, my responsibility, and I fought that dragon to give you your life!"

I felt my anger suddenly rising from his words as I flared my mane in frustration. "Is that why you tried to _kill_ me?"

"Being a fool isn't worth be killed for but being a traitor was something else entirely."

"That's not how I remember it!"

"Remember what you like, it matters not, what matters is that you wear my crown, sit upon my throne, parade around with my title of King, but you are just a pawn of Celestia's making now."

"I'm not a pawn!"

"Do you really believe that a young sixteen year old flame pony prince with prior training would be given such a position of power without there being an underlying reason for it? Why attempt to govern over the flame ponies herself when she has you in her saddle pocket?"

"I'm seventeen." I muttered.

"No this is where you shut up, Smolder!"

I stepped back hearing the firm and seriousness of the tone he took with me.

"You stand there foolish enough to believe that you know what it means to be a King. Your brothers were molded to become Kings while you ate rocks and struggled to read. It's safe to say that Wingston has been at your reigns since the beginning of your tenure as King, tugging the lead towards any sensible solution when problems arose. You were _never_ meant to be King, you weren't even meant to be my son, you were just a mistake that we had live with. If your mother loved you half as much as you believe she did, she would have never have entered the Void, but she never gave you a second thought. Your legacy is nothing but the mistake of believing that there was ever a family that loved you."

I lowered my head slowly, feeling the weight of his words come down on me. I didn't want him to see me shake, to see me become emotional, and it took everything to stop myself from crying. Closing my eyes tight, trying to beat down these feelings, but they came from him, my father, words I knew he meant.

My father had fallen silent. Expecting me to rebuttal in some way, to argue with him, but I remained silent as well. Try as I might to hold it in I found myself sniffling, trying to keep myself together, and keep a strong presence before my father. I brushed my nose while taking a few short breaths and looking back up at my father again.

"I'm-I'm going to go find Mira." I managed to get the words. "I promised her that I'd help her defeat the Storm."

Narrowing his eyes my father looked at me in disbelief. "You're joking?"

"I'm sorry," I swallowed hard trying to keep my voice from breaking. "That I've been such a disappointment to you."

"The fault is mine for ever thinking you would amount to anything remotely useful."

I found myself stepping towards my father. He watched me closely, awaiting some sort of spell or attack that would surely come, but slowly placed my hoof on his.

"I just... I just want you to know that I forgive you."

My father quickly pulled his hoof away from mine. Retreating a few steps back looking rather angry with me again.

"Forgive me?" My father questioned.

"Goodbye, Dad."

Turning away once more towards the tunnel. I could hear the flames from my father beginning to roar, the light of his fire chasing the shadows away, and the searing of his hide fill the air. I refused to turn around, leaving behind everything that hurt, everything that I couldn't bear to carry anymore.

"I don't need your forgiveness, Smolder! You are fool to think that seek any sort of absolution! Especially from such a stupid, worthless, undeserving pony like you!" His voice boomed throughout the cavern.

I walked on, reaching the cave entrance and leaving my father behind. For some reason, I felt that this was the last time I was ever going to see him again.

"The Storm will tear you apart! You cannot win against it! You'll die just like your mother! Do you hear me? Smolder! None can contend with the power of the Storm! You're walking to your death! Smolder! Come back! Smolder!"

His voice echoed for a time. The light of his fire fading from view. It was only my flames giving off light now and mixture of flames and hoofsteps through the sand to hear. I stopped for a moment, letting myself become overwhelmed with the emotions I was holding back, quietly sobbing from what my father had said. I needed to let it out, to feel it one more time.

* * *

Scorch stood alone with the cavern. Eyes fixed upon the tunnel, expecting Smolder to come wandering back in, but his light never returned. The thought of forgiveness felt so poisonous to him that Scorch struck his own head to relieve himself of his son's words that echoed within. Again and again he struck himself trying to rid himself of the words, but the idea of his son forgiving him would not go away.

Staring down at his hoof, still feeling the phantom touch of Smolder's hoof on his own, he watched his fire flicker and flecks of his hide fall away. His flames did not stop flickering, black smoke pluming from his body, small legions of his hide were beginning to harden and pieces trickled from him. Gritting his teeth in anger, his body shaking in rage, the Mad King roared loudly, reigniting his flame through sheer will and scorching the walls with his fire. His body once more ablaze, his hide no longer hardening, the Mad King was breathing heavy, clutching his chest and struggling to stand. Scorch's vision began to blur. A light was returning from the tunnel.

"Smolder-" Scorch choked out.

From the mouth of the cave Scorch could see himself stepping into view. His black hide whole, his red flames burning strongly, and his eyes piercing red. Darkness took him, the Mad King fell forward into the sand, having over exerted himself from Smolder's rekindling and his own forceful rekindling. The mouth of the cave was void of any any stallion, the Mad King lay alone in the darkness with his flames dancing over him.


	45. Chapter 45: Where We Stand

Duke Wellington, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity strolled across the moor just on the outskirts of Trottingham. Their destination was the woods that had once hid the newly exposed Obelisks. A small battalion of soldier ponies were on guard, keeping nosey ponies, paparazzi, and potential changelings from entering the area. The three were stopped near the entrance of the forest, being asked a series of questions that had rather odd responses for answers. Primarily it was Pinkie Pie's idea to have the guards ask rather horrible jokes to which the recipient would respond with an equally bad punch line. More often than not these jokes were puns, but it worked rather efficiently.

"Has your research team uncovered anything new since Queen Chrysalis's attempt to open the Void?" Rarity had asked.

"Sir Lancaster has been temporarily been given a leave of absence due to his rather traumatic event, but the others have been compiling some interesting data since." The Duke replied. "We should have our first findings later tonight if Mr. Montague continues to work at the pace he has been."

The walk through the woods was rather soothing to Pinkie Pie and Rarity, seeing as their lives were no longer in danger and had the time to enjoy the calmness that it held. The clearing had been cleared of most debris to allow a rather minor campsite to be established to allow research teams to take periodic shifts and work at the sight of the Obelisks. Presently there was only Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva diligently taking notes of some of their recent findings while Mr. Montague was back at the museum tackling the bulk of it.

"What's the word, James?" The Duke stepped up to his makeshift desk.

"We've been able to account for several different theories previously hypothesized by Princess Sapphire and their Court Wizard. Namely the use of Black Magic, a specific power source, and visitors from the other side." Mr. Bartlesby reported.

"We've also found some rather interesting relics that had been buried beneath the ground that the Queen had unearthed. It is basic stone pottery but some of the paintings depict rather tall and hooded creatures." Mrs. Minerva added.

The Duke continued listening to their report while Pinkie Pie and Rarity wandered over to the edge of the crater where the Obelisks sat ominously. Their towering black spires seemed so out of place in such a luscious green forest.

"Do you think we'll be able to help Smolder now that we've uncovered these, Pinkie?" Rarity asked looking her way.

"I think we have a better chance than we did a few days ago and that might make all the difference."

* * *

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and Chieftain Talon gathered around the thriving Arcana known as Tier. To them it had seemed like Tier had been attacked by an unseen assailant, but the truth was far worse than they knew. Talon had been attempting to help her, offering to share whatever pain she was suffering from, but Tier's pain appeared to be physical rather than emotional. All any pony could do was make Tier as comfortable as possible, bringing her back to the village in hopes that this pain would eventually pass. The very next day Tier was still recovering from her ordeal, although she was coherent enough to be able to explain what had happened.

"What in the hay happened to you?" Rainbow Dash asked standing at her bedside.

"Are you feeling any better?" Applejack questioned removing her hat.

Tier looked visibly exhausted, her eyes opening and closing as if she was drifting in and out of consciousness. Talon stood beside the other side of her bed, looking rather anxious at his inability to help her.

"Someone tried to force… a portal open." Tier managed to mutter.

"A portal?" Daring Do questioned taking notes in her journal.

"Are you somehow connected with it?" Applejack asked astutely.

Tier nodded her head, finding it the easiest way to respond.

"One of the others must have found their Obelisks as well." Rainbow Dash stated looking towards Applejack.

"But why are they trying to force it open?" Applejack questioned.

"Perhaps some other pony is trying to force it open?" Daring Do offered.

"Listen…" Tier whispered weakly raising her hand at them.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash leaned in a bit closer to hear her better.

"The Obelisks were meant… to weaken the Storm… they must be activated together." Tier whispered to them. "The ones here will open when… powered by the sun."

Tier turned her head towards Talon who listened very carefully to her.

"Please, you must drain the lake… help them Talon… before it's too late."

Tier succumbed to her exhaustion, eye closing, her breathing slow, but restful. Talon nodded his head to her in his understanding, walking around the side of the bed looking rather determined to carry out her request.

"This is the first time the Heart of the Jungle has ever been harmed or so frightened." Talon stated to them. "If it be her will that we assist you ponies in your quest to save this King of Fire, than you have my support and the support of every jungle pony."

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash cheered in victory.

"We really appreciate this, Talon, and every flame pony in the Ashen Fields are going to be more than grateful for your help." Applejack thanked him.

Daring Do gathered up her journal before following Rainbow Dash and Applejack as they followed Talon out of the hut. Chieftain Talon was greeted by a large group of jungle ponies holding dozens of flowers, looking very worried over the condition of Tier. A jungle pony soldier approached Talon, passing him his staff as he took it firmly in his hoof.

"The Heart of the Jungle has been with us through many generations of jungle ponies. For many years the Heart of the Jungle has taught us how to be more understanding, to love one another, and to be kind. Throughout that course we have disassociated ourselves with the outside world and have hidden from the troubles facing Equestria." Talon announced to his jungle ponies. "The Heart is now threatened by forces beyond our borders, perhaps beyond our comprehension, and has pleaded with us to help these ponies in their quest to save the lost King of Fire. The Heart appeared to our ancestors as a stranger, saving us from ourselves, it is time that we pay this forward and save a stranger from the horrors it faces."

The jungle ponies smiled at the idea, stirred by their Chieftains words.

"What say you my jungle ponies?" Talon declared striking his staff upon the ground.

Cheers of support erupted from the jungle ponies, tossing flowers high overhead and dancing about. Rainbow Dash cheered along with them, feeling pumped herself as Daring Do was quickly penning away the speech Talon had just given. Talon waved over two jungle pony soldiers who quickly approached him.

"We have to drain the lake. Gather what you need and have it done as soon as possible."

The jungle solider ponies nodded their heads to him before rushing off to complete this task. Talon turned to Applejack.

"I must speak to with my wise ponies on what needs to have happen. We will send word to your Princess Celestia and inform her of what has transpired here and let her know you are in our care."

"Thanks, partner." Applejack replied.

"Chieftain Talon? Would it be alright if we check out the Obelisks in the water? Just to get a head start on some research?" Daring Do asked watching him begin to walk away.

"I know not what power these Obelisks hold, but the Heart trusts you ponies. I advise you to use caution as to not accidently harm the Heart further." Talon replied.

"You got it." Rainbow Dash threw him a salute.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Daring Do headed towards the lake while Talon headed further into the village. Dozens of jungle soldier ponies were heading towards the waterfall up stream of the lake to most likely dam off the river to begin the draining. While no pony really fancied a swim, Daring Do was alright playing catch up with a lot that had be said and what had already transpired. Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat at the edge of the water watching Daring Do hover over the middle of the lake taking notes.

"Do you think the others are alright?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah," Applejack said with a smile. "Don't ask me how I know, but I just do."

* * *

Lord Tundra soared through the skies of the Frozen North, having just concluded his business in Yakyakistan, looking visibly tired and drained from the proceedings. The only smile he could muster was the thought of having his Sapphire home to where he could dote on her without remorse. With the kingdom coming into view, Lord Tundra noticed the skies being rather clearer than usual, but it bothered him none for the sun was always a welcome guest since it appeared so rarely. Landing at the doors of Castle Fjord, Lord Tundra used his magic to have them slide open with Chancellor Stone waiting patiently for him on the other side.

"Welcome home, my Lord." Chancellor Stone greeted him.

"Glad to be home, Chancellor." Lord Tundra strolled in. "How are things?"

"Lady Frost has been diligent in keeping the Kingdom up and running in your absence. I dare say she might even be ahead of schedule."

"That's Martha for you. I don't know why she keeps me around."

"I believe her reason is the joy she takes in watching your ice sculptures melt, my Lord."

Lord Tundra faked a laugh, eyeing Chancellor Stone who did his best to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips showed signs of a smile. Together they walked to the third floor of Castle Fjord, it was a massive section that had giant pillars with no walls holding up a large dome made of amethyst. There were many ice bridges that led to all of the Noble Cliffside, at the far end were two large thrones made of marble, each decorated to depict their current rulers and a smaller throne for which Sapphire would sit on occasion. The entire third floor was essentially a throne room, the openness that the third floor had was to ensure that their rule was not hidden, but to be seen by all within the Kingdom. It proved a great idea in concept when it involved ice ponies, but it was much too cold for any pony else and most visiting royalty would be addressed in the rooms on the second floor.

Lady Frost wrapping up on a deliberation on introducing low income housing units in the Noble Cliffside to allow families of sponsored squires to be closer to their loved ones with a couple of Noble Ponies and Commoner Ponies. With the promise of further entertaining the idea with potential sponsors, the meeting had come to a close and Lady Frost noticed her grinning soulmate approaching her.

"Back so soon? I was beginning to think you liked playing 'Stomp the Snow' with the Yaks." Lady Frost jested.

"I've missed you too, Martha."

Lady Frost glided down from her throne to meet him, embracing him tightly before sharing a rather long kiss with him that seemed to rejuvenate Lord Tundra. The two clung to one another other for a time, having rarely had any time for themselves these last few weeks. Lord Tundra finally pulled away from her, quickly glancing around the third floor, before resting his gaze upon Lady Frost again.

"Where is Sapphire?"

"Yeah," Lady Frost smiled nervously. "Our little Snowflake asked me for a favor and-well- you know how hard it is to say no to our little girl."

"She didn't ask about sculpting our faces into the cliff side, did she? I wanted to be the one to bring that up."

"You wanted to _what_?"

"I want to carve our faces onto the cliff face to immortalize us forever. It would be the single most challenging thing I have ever sculpted."

"That is the _dumbest_ thing I think you've ever said to me."

"Yeah, well, what did Sapphire want?"

"Well… she wanted to permission to go somewhere with Floe and her friends."

"Is it the new Iceberg Lounge that opened up on the Noble Cliffside? I heard it gets pretty wild there."

"No… not quite, it is a little more remote than that."

"Where then?"

Several ponies down in the Artic Bluff were going about their daily lives when the word 'what' was shouted so loudly that it brought the whole kingdom to a stop and shook snow from the very top of Mount Everhoof.

* * *

With the White Walk no longer being the hostile, unnavigable tundra of white nothingness, it was a rather pleasant place to be. Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike, and Princess Sapphire were presently occupied with cataloging the marking the Obelisk held. Spike was tackling the bottom portions of the Obelisks, making good use of his height, while Fluttershy and Princess Sapphire floated around near the tops of the pillars to sketch its markings, and Twilight had everything in between.

"These markings are different from the ones in the Ashen Fields." Twilight pointed out after a while of sketching.

"It is possible that the markings coincide with something from the Void, possibly a maker's mark, or even a simple way of distinguishing them apart." Princess Sapphire commented.

"I like drawing." Spike spoke up.

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Princess Sapphire looked over at Spike who held up his drawing for all to see. It had most of the markings from the bottom of the Obelisk but it included a crudely drawn picture of Spike punching an Orc in the face.

"You're very talented, Spike." Fluttershy praised him softly.

"Thanks! I wanted to give it a personal touch."

Princess Sapphire rolled her eyes with a smile. "As long as your sketching of the Obelisks are precise, I don't mind what you include."

Floe, Warrick, and Summer were busying themselves with setting up the camp a couple yards out to provide them enough to space to work. Warrick and Summer had melted a sizeable area of the ice to allow the set up camp, namely the tents Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike would be needing to endure the subzero temperatures come night fall.

"You've got to feed it through the holes or it's not going to work!" Floe snapped at Summer.

"You're lucky I'm even helping you set up this stupid thing!" Summer retorted.

The two struggled to magically build the tent, even with the instructions in step by step format to follow, and there was great difficulty in the communication between the two. Fortunately for Warrick, he had no magical horn and was unable to lend a hoof and enjoyed the struggle Floe and Summer were creating for themselves.

Twilight took a step back to view the Obelisks a bit better, the similarities to the ones she had seen in the Ashen Fields were striking, but the markings were what set it apart. Her mind wandered to what the purpose of the Obelisks were in the first place, wondering it was simply a means of visiting between their two worlds, or perhaps a much deeper purpose.

"Is everything alright, Twilight?" Fluttershy questioned her.

"I was just thinking about how much we still don't know about these Obelisks and what the world that lies beyond it."

Fluttershy drifted down to her. "Isn't that why we're here? To find out more so we can help Smolder?"

"Indeed it is." Princess Sapphire agreed before landing beside them. "Let us compare out sketches before taking a survey of the surrounding area."

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike nodded their heads in agreement, heading over to the campsite to find Floe and Summer arguing beside a unfinished tent. Princess Sapphire turned back towards the Obelisks, gazing at them for a moment, knowing how close she was and yet so far from her goal.

"We're coming, Smolder."

None would suspect that just beyond the portals, the other side of the Obelisks, the Last of the Arcana was about to face off against the Dark King Null and its oncoming storm.

* * *

Moonlight bathed Canterlot in a tinted blue, the stars overhead softly gleaming in the night sky. Princess Celestia toiled away the hour's magically penning royal summons to every Lord and Lady from all across Equestria. The time was drawing near in which a choice had to be made on whether to open the portals to the Void or not. A decision that would require all in attendance as the repercussions would be potentially be world ending. Tomorrow would be the day in which Twilight and her friends would be sending in their reports on anything and everything they had discovered about the Void.

Princess Celestia knew that time was against them and that prolonging this decision would only harm Smolder's chances of surviving. If Twilight and her friends failed to gather enough information about the Void to sway the summit into taking this chance, it would mean that Smolder would have no help coming his way. If the summit did choose to deny the opening of the portals, a second convening of the summit in several weeks' time would allow them to present a stronger case, but it would most likely be too late to save Smolder.

Princess Celestia rose from her bed, magically lifting the stacks of summons piled around her and had them disappearing in a flash of light. The meeting would take place in three days' time, and with the summons on their way, Princess Celestia knew she would have to be very convincing to garner the support she needed to open the portals, but it would need to come with a very strong promise of keeping Equestria safe from the Storm.

Princess Celestia retired to her desk to begin penning out the speech she would give to every pony at the summit. With her quill magically hovering over a blank sheet of parchment, Princess Celestia pondered on what would be a strong opening statement. Several minutes had passed and the parchment had remained blank. The quill magically began to shake from Princess Celestia's frustration, unable to write a single word down and flung the quill back into its well before pouting.

"I'm asking too much of every pony." She mumbled to herself.

This was personal. At least that how she viewed and surely every pony else would too. Smolder choose to enter the Void, no pony forced him, and even with the slightest possibility of the Storm entering Equestria no pony would dare take that risk. Opening the portals to attempt to save Smolder would be a selfish thing of her to do, of any pony, and yet here she was trying to find a reason every pony could get behind to do just that.

Princess Celestia rubbed her face with her hooves. "What am I going to do?"

Getting to her hooves, Princess Celestia began to pace about her room trying to find a substantial reason to open the portals and potentially save Smolder while destroying the Storm. A breeze caused the drapes from Princess Celestia's balcony to flutter, a set of hooves clopped down upon the marble flooring, causing her to turn towards the noise. The drapes offered a small glimpse of a silhouette against the moonlight. Princess Celestia stepped towards the balcony, having recognized the pony that had come to pay her a visit so late at night.

"Chrysalis?"

"Don't open the portals."

Princess Celestia gave pause to this. There was a sense of worry in her voice that Princess Celestia found more surprising than her appearance on her balcony.

"What do you know of it?" Princess Celestia questioned her.

"I've seen it." Chrysalis's voice drifted from the other side of the drapes. "The Storm that resides within that realm."

"How have you-"

"I tried to open it, to take the power of the Storm for my own, but it isn't power. It's alive and it's starving."

Princess Celestia was taken aback. Her words were close to becoming fearful, but it stayed within a tone of concern she had for what she was planning to do. Princess Celestia was suddenly becoming worried for Twilight and her friends having been told that Queen Chrysalis had attempted to open one of the portals.

"If you have hurt any pony in your attempt to foolishly seize this –"

"Makes all the threats you want, Celestia, but do not threaten this world by opening those portals. I have seen the darkness that lies beyond it, and even I do not wish it upon this land."

Muffled voices of the Night's Watch drew their attention, a sudden hiss came from Queen Chrysalis, having transformed into a royal guard to avoid detection. Princess Celestia stepped towards the balcony to speak further with her, but Queen Chrysalis was already turning to leave.

"Let the flame pony go, Celestia, for all our sakes." Chrysalis's voice deep and raspy like an older colt.

With her magic Princess Celestia threw open her drapes, witnessing a soldier colt fly off into the night sky. Stepping out onto the balcony, Princess Celestia stared into the night sky, feeling that this visit wasn't meant to confuse her, but to warn her of what she was planning on doing. There was a small twinge in her heart, the thought had crossed her mind that this was the moment she'd have to say goodbye to Smolder, make the hard choice that Lord Smoke had done and shut out the Void from the rest of Equestria.

"You know I can't imagine how little sleep you used to get when you had to raise both the sun and the moon." Discord's voice drifted in from beyond the balcony.

Princess Celestia stepped forward, peering over the ledge to see Discord nearly a hundred feet tall, leaning against the side of her tower with his arms folded. Many of the Night's Watch down below on the ramparts were eyeing him rather suspiciously, but they knew that there wasn't much they could do about it seeing as it was Discord.

"How long have you been there, Discord?"

"Long enough to know you're about to make a rather difficult decision concerning a mutual friend of ours."

Princess Celestia sighed. "I haven't made up my mind yet."

Discord slithered up the side of the tower, snaking his way around the arch of the balcony and pouring out like water upon the floor beside her before remerging at his usual size.

"I think you already have and you just can't bring yourself to say it."

"I know what I _need_ to do, and what I have to do, but I just don't know if I should."

"It's only one flame pony, Celestia, granted it is a flame pony we _know_ and just happens to be a newly crowned King, but is it really worth risking everything just for him?"

Princess Celestia lowered her head slightly. Had she allowed this idea of saving Smolder come too far? Were they grasping at straws that weren't there and inviting danger messing with things they knew so little about? Would she have to step in, put her hoof down, and tell every pony that Smolder was a lost cause?

"You know I remember the days when all this used to be a sea of cotton candy, you and Princess Luna trying so desperately to stop all of my wonderful chaotic beauty from taking over Equestria." Discord mentioned. "How crazy it must have seemed to every pony that I could be reformed, that I would use my powers for good, and not turn Equestria into a chaotic nightmare, but you insisted that it could be done."

Princess Celestia glanced over at Discord who simply stroking his goatee, a noticeable smirk upon his face.

"And it did." Discord said as he noticeably crossed his fingers. "All because of a little friendship and some magic."

It was hard to hide her smile. Discord had made her face the harsh truth, but also offered her the belief that the impossible could still happen. All it required was the magic of friendship.

"We're going to save Smolder, Discord."

"Of course we are. You made up your mind a while ago just as I had said you did."

Discord and Princess Celestia stood at the balcony watching the stars twinkle in the night sky, the Night's Watch pegasi flying in from their patrols, and soft silence of the world sleeping.

"Thank you, Discord."

"Can I turn just one tree into cotton candy?"

"No."


	46. Chapter 46: A House Call

Princess Celestia had a short night sleep, having dragged herself out of bed to raise the sun, feeling the weight of her poor night sleep already straining her. With a glow of her horn the sun slowly began to rise, providing the first crack of dawn to all of Equestria, and with yawn Princess Celestia headed back towards her bed. Unfortunately, for her a sudden scroll magically appeared before her with the seal of the Frozen North upon it. It seemed rather odd that the Princess Sapphire would send her findings on the Void so early in the morning, but she seemed assumed that she wanted her to have this information as soon as possible.

Placing the unopened letter open her desk, Princess Celestia found herself thinking of all of her duties for the day and the stress of the Summit Meeting in two days, and it was enough to keep her from blissfully going back to sleep. Before she could begin to prepare for the rest of her day another letter magically appeared before her, this time from Trottingham by the markings on the seal. Yet another letter that would most likely hold more information, or at least confirming what they did know about that Void. Placing it with the others, Princess Celestia headed to her vanity mirror where she would get ready for the day ahead of her.

Princess Celestia had just finished brushing her mane when another letter had appeared before her, but this one seemed rather odd to her. It was of parchment like the rest, but the seal bore markings that she did not recognize, quickly racking her brain through all of the symbols of many other kingdoms, she was already opening the letter when the answer came to her. It was of jungle pony origin, it was almost as rare as getting a letter from the Frozen North, and Princess Celestia assumed that their travels for the Obelisk had brought them there. Glancing over the letter, Princess Celestia's face became rather confused by what was written, but it was quickly replaced with intrigue.

 _Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _I am Talon, Chieftain of the Jungle Ponies, descendant of the Wakanda Tribe from centuries long passed. I write to you at the behest of two native ponies of a place called Ponyville, and the adventurous pony named Daring Do, concerning the attempt to save the Fire Lord. While our willingness to assist these foreign ponies were muddled with the attempted theft of our most sacred of treasure by a creature known to us now as Ahuizotl._

 _This treasure, our Heart of the Jungle, has been a well-kept secret for many generations for its protection. These foreign ponies were judged by the Heart, earning its trust and now it asks us to place our trust in your cause as well._

 _Our Heart of the Jungle is a creature known as Tear, an Arcana from the very Void you seek. She has deep rooted knowledge of the world you seek and carries amazing powers not seen in any of our strongest warriors. Even so she fears this Storm that threatens your missing Fire King, but she believes that these ponies can end the suffering that her world has long endured._

 _I am not a worldly pony, Princess Celestia, my knowledge is limited, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that we succeed in this plan. I shall be bringing her your kingdom by the next sunrise so that you may meet face to face._

 **Talon**

"This is unbelievable." Princess Celestia had whispered to herself.

A Chieftain jungle pony had written to her describing the efforts of two of Twilight's friends and the exploits of the infamous Daring Do. While the accounts of the nefarious Ahuizotl attempt to steal the Heart of the Jungle, what had surprised Princess Celestia the most was what the Heart turned out to be. Talon claimed that it was a creature from the Void called Tear, an Arcana that had a vast amount of knowledge of her world and the storm. Upon the Arcana's wishes, Talon had agreed to support her and their mission to save the Fire King in way that they could.

Quickly getting her hooves, Princess Celestia magically retrieved the other two letters from her desk to read them as well. The letter from Trottingham had several pages of parchment detailing the events that had unfolded in finding the Obelisks, including the attempted takeover of the hierarchy by Queen Chrysalis and detailed notes of Sir Lancaster's report on the Void itself. Princess Celestia read each and every word carefully, absorbing the details of what had occurred and better understood Queen Chrysalis's warning from the night before. It was clear that Trottingham had uncovered the means of opening their portal and would continue to conduct their research until the summit meeting.

Princess Celestia's spirits had lifted considerably, every pony had been making great strides in uncovering the Obelisks, and she was eager to see what Princess Sapphire had discovered. Breaking the seal of the Frozen North letter she read it in earnest to see what they had uncovered. To her surprise, it wasn't written by Princess Sapphire, rather it was from Lady Frost.

 _Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _My apologies if you were expecting our little Snowflake to be writing to you, but we've hit a bit of a hiccup in her plan to save that adorable little flame pony. I tell you Celestia my little Sapphire is crushing on him so hard and I cannot tell you how much that is going to tick Charles off._

 _Back to our little mishap, our absent minded, but loveable Court Wizard Floe sneezed and snuffed out that little flame that Ms. Herbal was carrying around. Devastating I know, it really did sour every pony's spirits, but they all took it in stride. Our little Sapphire has sent Ms. Herbal and her companions back to the Ashen Fields to inform Wingston of this unfortunate news personally. In the meantime, Twilight Sparkle, that rather quiet pony Fluttershy, and that o' so adorable baby dragon Spike have accompanied Sapphire into the White Walk to search for the Obelisks._

 _Sapphire is confident that there is another way to open that portal and I do hope she is right. The next letter you receive should be from our little Snowflake about her findings, but until then we are holding out hope that we haven't lost our only chance of saving Smolder._

 _Hugs,_

 **Martha**

A rock settled in Princess Celestia's stomach, without Smolder's flame there was no way to open the portal in the Ashen Fields and would render all the other portals useless to them. Folding the letters, Princess Celestia placed them down on her desk before magically levitating her crown from her dresser to the top of her head.

"There has to be another way to the open the portal in the Ashen Fields."

Turning towards the door of her chambers, Princess Celestia would attend to her duties as quickly as she could before heading out to the Ashen Fields to discuss this further with Wingston personally. Surely the news would weigh heavily on his heart and Princess Celestia would want to be there to for him.

* * *

The Royal Carriage from the Frozen North sped over the northern hills of the Ashen Fields. The mountainous volcano had been torn from the inside out by the emergence of the Great Dragon Char and leaving it with half of its awesome size. Tea, Florence, and Chapel moved towards the window to see how the aftermath of the battle with the Orc had come along. Much of the fields were still barren of any vegetation, several large crevasses from the dragon's rampage still scarred parts of the land, but further to the west there was some color to be seen. The softest shade of green layered the ground, grass beginning to grow around the areas being cultivated for farming. Tea could feel herself smiling at this sight, feeling that it was small victory that would soon cover the rest of the Kingdom.

With the carriage beginning to descend, Tea, Florence, and Chapel returned to their seats to await their landing. A rather unusual sound was heard beneath the carriage as wheels had touched down upon stone rather than dirt. The carriage rolled forward for a few more feet. Coming to a stop Tea could see a somewhat familiar face waiting at the main doors of castle Char. The pegasi ice pony stepped around the carriage, opening the door for the ponies inside as Florence, Chapel, and Tea stepped out. Golden Fleece, or Goldie as every pony had come to call her, stepped forward to welcome them.

"On behalf of Wingston, Steward of the Ashen Fields, we'd like to welcome you to our Kingdom. Wingston apologizes for not being able to be here to greet you personally, he is currently in a meeting and will be unable to see right away. I'm Golden Fleece, Goldie for short, Treasurer of castle Char." Goldie informed them.

Goldie looked back over her shoulder, nodding at a royal guard pony standing near the entrance. The royal guard approached them, carrying some cloaks in his hooves as he held them out to their guests.

"These are fire resistant cloaks. Please accept them as our gift to you to make your stay safe and memorable."

Tea wore a rather smug smile on her face seeing Florence and Chapel take the cloaks. Even though they had no reason not to believe her stories about coming to the Ashen Fields for Smolder's Coronation, it still felt like a well-deserved 'told you so' moment for her.

"You will be able to have minimal to moderate contact with flame ponies while wearing these cloaks."

Before Goldie could continue, Florence and Chapel were already swarming around Goldie, admiring her flames, and the simple fact that she was the first flame pony they had met today.

"Your mane is just fire, but it sort of burns in a way that makes it look like you have bangs." Florence remarked in admiration.

"Well," Goldie mumbled, flushing a bit. "Thank you."

"The color of your mane is so warm and inviting, it's like the glow from a fireplace on Hearth's Warming Eve." Chapel added.

Goldie's mane flared from her embarrassment from their compliments, only earning her the shrill squeals of excitement from the two of them. Tea quickly intervened to save Goldie from her friends over excitement.

"Hello Goldie, I'm not sure if you remember me from Smolder's Coronation." Tea introduced herself while tugging on both Chapel's and Florence's cloaks.

"Of course I remember you. You're Tea Herbal from Manehattan. I was the pony that handled your travel arrangements at the request of Lord Smolder." Goldie replied.

"I'm Florence Gale."

"And I'm Christie Chapel."

"It's nice to meet the two of you." Goldie said with a smile. "If you'd please follow me I'll bring you to the throne room where Wingston will come to greet you."

The Main Hall of castle Char had changed quite a bit since Tea's last visit. From what Princess Sapphire had said of the Great Dragon Char's rampage, there were noticeable additions to walls and ceilings where the dragon's claws had torn the obsidian.

"With the reconstruction of castle Char, Roman Mason, one of our most gifted stone-cutters, has added a new wing that will be solely dedicated to information. A glorified library of sorts." Goldie told them.

There were many flame pony colts working in and around the area, bucking and striking large stone blocks into perfect slabs. It was hard not to notice how rugged looking these stone cutter ponies were with their broad shoulders and rather muscular features, but Florence and Chapel did their best not to look too interested. The stone cutter ponies on the other hoof ogled at the sight of these colorful mares, bringing almost all productivity to a halt as they passed by.

"With much of the ceiling having been torn down, Roman has purposed a rather natural skylight that the claws of the Great Dragon Char have left behind. It will introduce natural sunlight, moonlight, and the ability for pegasi ponies to fly through. The claw marks themselves will be a historical reminder of the battle for many ages to come."

The amount of sunlight that was shining through the claw marks practically lit the entire main hall. Tea, Chapel, and Florence were in awe of how large the claw marks were and tried to imagine the incredible size of the dragon that had made them. Goldie paused at the bottom of the staircase, turning to them with an apologetic smile.

"Unfortunately, much of our kingdom is still under repair and we cannot give you a proper tour of it as we would like. I hope you can understand."

"I wouldn't mind walking by the stone cutter colts one more time." Chapel mentioned with a coy smile.

"Weren't the two of you invited to that fancy party by those two ice ponies?" Tea questioned them.

"There's nothing wrong looking, Tea." Florence replied.

Goldie giggled. From the top of the staircase a flame pony mare with flames so light a red that it was almost pink and dressed in some rather fancy solider pony armor descended the steps towards them.

"You're Ray Horizon!" Florence and Chapel shouted together.

Ray was quickly taken aback by their sudden outburst, not even getting the chance to speak as the two of them quickly approached her and began to fawn over her. From what Tea and Princess Sapphire had told them of the Coronation and the battle with the Orc, it was like seeing characters from a story come to life right before their eyes and it was almost too much for them to take.

"You're the granddaughter of General Hearth! You got to lead the Kingdom's army of flame ponies against the evil Orc!" Chapel gushed.

"You went hoof to hoof with a Queen Spider and the Orc itself with the help of Rainbow Dash!" Florence recalled.

"Do… Do I know you ponies?" Ray asked looking perplexed.

"Did you and Solar Wind ever become each other's special some pony?" Florence asked.

Ray's mane suddenly flourished in embarrassment, looking absolutely flummoxed by who they were and how they knew her so well and her low key relationship with Solar.

"General Horizon, I'd like to introduce you to Florence Gale, Christie Chapel, and Tea Herbal. They are here to assist in the efforts to help save Lord Smolder." Goldie informed her.

"Right." Ray mumbled still eyeing the two of them. "I needed to talk to you about the soldiers still in the Infirmary."

Goldie's expression became rather somber. Tea, Florence, and Chapel looked between the two of them knowing that this wasn't going to be good news.

"I'm doing everything I can to get a doctor pony to come down here and find them some help, but it has been very difficult procuring a pony that knows anything about flame pony physiology." Goldie said sadly.

"Can't we send them someplace? A different hospital or something?" Ray questioned sounding a bit desperate.

"No hospital is currently equipped to receive flame ponies as patients and I've been informed that moving them might just make things worse."

"Goldie, please, if this gets any worse we might actually lose them."

"Let us help." Florence stepped forward.

Chapel was quick to step up with her as Tea followed suit. Goldie and Ray looked at them with rather surprised looks.

"You ponies?" Ray asked.

"The three of us are trained nurses, studying to become doctors." Chapel informed them.

"We're not familiar with flame pony physiology, at least not as well as Tea does with all time she's had with Smolder." Florence remarked.

"Hey!" Tea snapped flushing a dark shade of green.

"But we'd like to try and help in any way that we can if you'd let us." Chapel added.

Goldie glanced over at Ray who looked back her with a pleading smile. There really wasn't a need to think about it and Goldie knew that if there was going to be any chance to help those ponies that this was going to be it.

"Alright, we'd appreciate any help you ponies could provide. I'll inform Wingston of where he can find you when he is down with his meeting. In the meantime, General Horizon will escort you to our infirmary. I need to get back to my duties, but if there is anything you need please bring it to the attention of our royal guards."

"Right." The three of them said together.

Goldie waved goodbye before heading back to her office as General Horizon smiled appreciatively at the three of them.

"I really appreciate you ponies willing to try and help." Ray thanked them.

"You're welcome, but are you going out with Solar Wind or not?" Chapel questioned her.

Ray's face flushed again with her mane flaring wildly.

"How… how…"

"Princess Sapphire told us that she saw the two of you… well… together in the barracks and put two and two together." Tea explained to her.

"This isn't happening." Ray mumbled turning ever redder.

Ray quickly climbed the stairs, heading towards the Infirmary with Chapel and Florence hot on her tail to dig deeper into her relationship. Tea followed after them, pulling out her lantern from beneath her cloak to look its missing flame. There was a feeling of her gut being wrenched from the sight of it, knowing that she'll have to disappoint every pony with her news. The only thing that had her pushing those feelings aside was the injured ponies in the Infirmary that were in desperate need of help.

The Infirmary doors slid open with Ray stepping in, her face still a bright shade of red from all of the questions Chapel and Florence had barraged her with, but all the questions had stopped the minute they stepped in. There were a few flame ponies tending to the sickly soldier ponies, although Ray had mentioned that they had no formal training and most of their remedies relied on their slates depicting each aliment. Florence, Chapel , and Tea wasted no time in approaching each bedside to take a look at their charts. It was rather confusing at first, seeing as their charts were thin slates of rock that had been written on with charcoal, but they adapted to it rather quickly. There were five soldier ponies in total, suffering from similar symptoms, having been given several treatments of anti-venom over a period of a few weeks, but nothing seemed to be working.

"Is there anything I can get for you ponies?" Ray asked.

"Thank you, General Horizon, but we can handle it from here." Tea informed her.

Ray nodded her head. Looking a bit more hopeful than before. The General took her leave of the Infirmary while Tea turned to Chapel and Florence who looked serious about getting to work.

"I've had a little practice in diagnosing flame ponies, so I'll start there." Tea said to them.

"I'll start complying their charts and see if there is anything similar between them." Chapel stated.

"I'm going to have look at the books of remedies these flame ponies have." Florence said.

The three of them went to work. Chapel and Florence were finding flame pony book keeping was just rock after rock and slate after slate. Much of the Infirmary was clearly behind in the standards most hospitals held themselves in, the lack of any educated nurse or doctor flame ponies was astounding, but there were some interesting things to be found as well. The mixtures of remedies flame ponies had complied over many generations seemed to treat a wealth of illnesses through natural remedies coming from the Dark Marsh. Several hours had gone by with each of them making lists of the flame ponies aliments before trying to narrow down the cause through their symptoms.

"Each flame pony has a diminished flame, which is never a good sign. They share labored breathing, low temperatures, and severe coughing." Tea stated approaching Chapel with her notes.

"There isn't much in terms of a patient's history to be found here, which makes a family medical record a no go, but from what I can gather, every treatment given to them has only made things worse." Chapel replied.

"The flame ponies aren't suffering from the effects of spider venom anymore, that much is certain, but there symptoms aren't all that severe."

Florence approached them carrying three bounded rocks slates in her arms, dropping on the table in front of Chapel. Turning open the first bundle of slates, Florence started on the second bundle after fining the page she wanted to show them.

"I'm not much of a herbalist, but I've been looking over the treatments used on these flame ponies and found something interesting." Florence said. "Potassium bisulfite."

Chapel and Tea looked at her looking rather lost.

"Did you ponies not take chemistry?"

"I did, but... I sort of just coasted, you know?" Chapel mumbled looking a little sheepish.

"Okay, so let me just make this simple. Potassium bisulfite is made from sulfur dioxide and potassium carbonate. The sulfur comes from the natural toxic gases of the volcano and the potassium is white salt used to make windows." Florence informed them. "When mixed together the potassium bisulfite can be used as a sterilizing agent."

"Huh." Tea mumbled feeling she had learned something new.

"So the flame ponies have been using that potassium stuff to sterilize there equipment, then." Chapel remarked looking at all the glassware on the shelves around them.

"So you're thinking that this is what's causing their symptoms?" Tea questioned her.

"It's only a theory, but I think its worth taking seriously."

The doors to the infirmary slid open, General Horizon stepped in with a familiar thudding following close behind. Stepping aside, Ray revealed Wingston limping into the room with his new metal staff firmly in his grasp. His face was hidden behind the bunched up hood of his cloak, his long fingers of his torn wing gripping his staff tightly for support, but his eyes seemed to show how happy he was to see them. Glow felt her heart drop at the sight of him, she did her best to hide it, but she could see Wingston's gaze notice her uneasiness.

"What's that?" Chapel asked looking rather put off.

"That's Wingston!" Tea hissed at her.

Chapel was quick to cover her mouth with her hooves in embarrassment. "Oh! Sorry!"

"Ms. Herbal, what a pleasure it is to see you again." Wingston greeted her, bowing his head to her. "I've been told that you and your friends have offered to help our bedridden soldier ponies. I am most grateful for your selflessness."

"Not... not at all, Wingston. These are my friends Christie Chapel and Florence Gale. We are all nurse ponies going to school together to become doctors." Tea introduced them.

"How are you feeling?" Florence asked him.

"Did it hurt getting stabbed with a Queen Spider's fang?" Chapel questioned him further.

"Cut it out!" Tea hissed at them again.

"It felt like pure fire running through my veins before the pain became so unbearable that I blacked out and found myself having fever dreams of a six armed monkey baking cupcakes with a waffle iron." Wingston replied.

Tea, Chapel, Florence, and even Ray looked at Wingston, dumbfounded by his response.

"I'm only joking. It was rather painful, but I am mended and in high spirits."

Tea chuckled nervously along with the others. Wingston stepped forward looking at Tea rather curiously, seeing how much dread she was trying to hide and it was becoming clear to him that she had some rather troubling news.

"There's problem, isn't there?"

Biting her bottom lip, Tea could feel her heart beginning to race. Withdrawing the lantern from beneath her cloak, she held it out to Wingston looking very remorseful.

"There... there was an accident, Wingston. We lost Smolder's flame." Tea said nervously. "I'm so... _so_ sorry, Wingston. It was my fault and-"

Wingston's staff bopped her on the nose, causing Tea to recoil in surprise. Reaching out his wings he took the lantern from her, looking at the emptiness within, turning it from side to side as if admiring it.

"We'll just have to find another way to open the portal, Ms. Herbal." Wingston said to her kindly. "I'm sorry for this unintentional burden we placed upon you. This was mean to be a gift from Smolder to you and nothing more. When he returns, and he will, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to relight it for you."

Wingston held out the lantern to her, a noticeable crease appearing in his hood where his smile should be. Tea could feel tears starting to well in her eyes, recognizing that same confident and kind demeanor Smolder had, and realizing where he had acquired it from. Taking the lantern carefully from him, Tea held it tightly in her arm, smiling appreciatively, and wiping her tears away with her hoof.

"We've made arrangements for you to stay as long as you'd like. Our royal guard pegasi will be ready to take you home whenever you are ready. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable and you have are sincerest thanks for your assistance here."

Wingston bowed to them again, turning back towards the entrance of the Infirmary and limping his way out.

"Can I usher you somewhere, Wingston?" Ray offered him.

"No... I'd... like to be by myself for a while." Wingston replied, not stopping to turn around.

Every pony watched Wingston turn the corner, the thudding of his staff growing more distant from them. Tea could feel her chest tightening, she knew how much Wingston meant to Smolder, and she could see how much Smolder meant to him. It hurt even more to see how both of them had trouble expressing they're sadness to others, and chose to keep it to themselves. Tea felt a hoof come around her shoulders, seeing Chapel hugging her tightly, Florence stepped around latched onto her on her other shoulder.

"We're here for you, Tea." Chapel whispered to her.

"How you feeling?" Florence asked.

"My chest is so tight it's hard to breath right now." Tea mumbled sadly.

"Don't worry, Wingston will know what to do." Ray spoke up sounding confident.

Tea's breaths were short, she was doing her best to beat down her emotions and not start crying in front of every pony. Her attempt to take a deep breath was cut short, finding it hard to even draw a full breath, but something suddenly clicked with her. All her sadness was suddenly thrown aside, racking her brain for the thought that had crossed her mind, and found herself smiling.

"Asthma!" Tea said suddenly.

Ray looked at her rather confused. "What was that?"

"These flame ponies have asthma!"

Chapel and Florence smiled in disbelief, hugging Tea even tighter for her mad diagnosing skill. Florence pulled off of Tea, rushing to the bundled slates to look them over.

"Potassium bisulfite is known to trigger asthma and the amount of doses they've been given has probably caused an infection!" Florence deduced.

"All we need to do is treat the infection and with the right medication we can have these ponies back on their hooves in no time!" Chapel shouted excitedly.

"Asthma?" Ray asked look rather puzzled.

"Asthma is a lung disease. It's hereditary, meaning that they got it from their parents who probably also had it. Without any medical history to be had, no pony would have known that these ponies suffered from it." Tea explained to her.

"Are they going to be okay?" Ray asked looking very optimistic and excited.

"Now that we know what's wrong with them it's just a matter of treating it. We'll have to watch them closely to see how bad it's gotten, but there road to recovery starts now."

Tea felt Ray's arms coming around her, hugging her tightly, and lucky for her the cloak she wore prevented any accidental burns. It wasn't the first time Tea was able to give _good_ news to a pony, she had her share of bad ones, but from how tightly Ray was clinging to her she felt that this was very good news for her.

* * *

Wingston had crossed the fields, limping his way before the two towering Obelisks that loomed over the land. A part of him wasn't sure what he was going to do, the other part of him was wondering what he _could_ do. It would have been cruel to allow Tea to feel that this was her fault, that everything was riding upon that lantern she had, but Wingston knew that it was there only chance of getting Smolder back. Standing before the Obelisks, Wingston stared at the ground between them, the last place Smolder had stood before stepping into the Void. Wingston closed his eyes, the feelings of doubt and despair creeping their way into his heart, but his sadness beat it out.

"Please come back, Smolder." Wingston whispered.

A soft breeze drifted past Wingston, the sound of hooves stepping into the soft dirt just behind him, and a familiar voice danced in his ears.

"Has Ms. Herbal already told you of the accident?" Princess Celestia asked him sympathetically.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but I don't know the details. All I know is that we lost out chance to save him." Wingston replied solemnly.

"I have received word from Trottingham, the Frozen North, and even the Jungle Ponies, we are so close to achieving this, Wingston. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into despair now."

"I did this to him." Wingston mumbled. "I forced this on him. I made him choose between his family and his kingdom. Made him into a King and told him he'd have to sacrifice everything for the good of his flame ponies. I never once thought of what he might wanted, what he hoped to be one day, and I guess I'll never find out."

Princess Celestia walked up alongside Wingston. Gently placing her wing on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Smolder has always had doubts about his capabilities, his powers, and his ability to rule." Princess Celestia began. "But I know he _never_ once doubted you, Wingston. That young colt has stared down the madness of his father, the malice of an Orc, and the rage of an Elder Dragon all because you believed that he could be more than he thought possible. He spoke with Orc before the battle started, he wanted to end things peacefully, even after what it had done to you and the others. All because you told him that talking things out is the best way to reach pony and that speaks volumes to what he sort of King he is to become."

Wingston rubbed his eyes with her sleeve, doing his best to compose himself.

"We will find another way to open this portal. We will get him back, Wingston."

"Forgive me, I should not have been so grim." Wingston muttered.

"A father has a right to fear for his son."


	47. Chapter 47: Mira's Atonement

Within the Kingdom of Naught four great locations had been forged by the Eternal Master known as Zenith. There was the Ethereal Valley, an area in which the Eternal Masters would reside. The fields of Ouroboros was the place where Azimuth's creations would reside, the Castle of Naught and the City of Cyclic were later built to by such creatures. The Planes of Chiaroscuro had been forged flat, an entire ocean of silver glass that was obscured by the darkness, and illuminated by starlight. Zenith constructed each foundation with the use of a great hammer that could flatten stars and shatter worlds, imbued by magic gifted by Nadir, the Eternal Master was seen as a builder and a protector.

When Nadir had murdered Azimuth from the jealousy he had over her ability to produce life, Zenith sought retribution seeking to end him. The battle began within the Ethereal Valley, Nadir's magic had stained the land in shadow, and Zenith's hammer had tempered the landscape and shattered the Planes of Chiaroscuro. Nadir's magic proved overwhelming to Zenith, placing all of his might into one final attack he scored a soul crushing blow that utterly annihilated Nadir that scattered his remains across the valley. It was said that Zenith's strength left him, causing him to drop his hammer that spilt that valley in two, severing it from the rest of the kingdom before the fell into the abyss with Zenith never to be seen again.

All that was left were the Void Walkers, the Arcana, and the abominations Nadir had created. The Arcana had tasked themselves to scatter Nadir's abominations into the Valley of Shadows, the ruined Ethereal Valley. The serpent Apep, the squid Kana, the raven Hoopoe, and several other vicious creatures had been banished from the kingdom. During this purge, the Arcana had discovered an almost familiar creature, one that resembled their fallen masters, but much smaller. It had been the final experiment Nadir had conducted, a being that many saw as an abomination, but none would call it a successor to the masters.

* * *

The Void Walkers had no love for the creature and the Arcana refused to see it as a potential master. They had called it Null, nothing, an invalid creature that wasn't made by the hands of Azimuth. They forced it to wear heavy chains, shackles that impaired its ability to walk, and made it wear a helm to hide its face. It brought before the senate within the castle of Naught for the wisest Arcana and Void Walkers to have judgement be passed upon it.

The creature Null stood before senate with the masses of Void Walker and Arcana alike at its back, afraid for itself, unsure of what it was, and terrified by their reaction to it. Four stood before the creature Null, two Arcana, and two Void Walkers, the representatives of their kind. An Arcana of fuchsia starlight hair, markings of gold, floated forward raising its arms to bring the hearing into order.

"Before us stands the last of Nadir's abominations, a creature forged out of malice and hatred he had for our creator, Azimuth." The fuchsia Arcana declared. "It stands to reason that this creature would have given rise to countless others of his kind, twisted abominations that would rival us in not only magic, but strength."

The Great Hall of castle Naught was shoulder to shoulder with Void Walkers quietly whispering their contempt for the creature. High above near the ceiling were hundreds of Arcana that floated around hissing their disdain for it. The creature Null flinched from the sharp hissing it received, feeling the weight of the chains shift with him.

" _Your_ Master has devastated our lands, killed many of our friends, and has even experimented on them in the attempts, we believe, to create you. What have you to say in your defense?"

The creature Null raised its head, the gleam of his helm reflecting the multicolored Arcana that floated overhead.

"I didn't… ask for this." Null replied.

Null's words silenced the Great Hall, few as they were his words were powerful and carried much with them. None of them had asked for life, none knew anything before awakening in the hands of Azimuth, and worst of all they all could relate to this creature. A Void Walker draped cloaked in gold trimmings stepped forward to speak.

"Your existence is a mockery of our masters. Your existence had purpose, we were all created for a purpose, and I will ask you, creature, what was yours?"

The creature Null lowered its head. "I was meant to rule."

Uproar had started from the Void Walkers followed by the angry cries of the Arcana overhead over his words. The senators expressed their own contempt for the creature, mistaking his honesty for hubris.

"We have no need for another master!" Spoke up the other Arcana senator.

A great outpouring of support from the Void Walkers followed the Arcana's words. The final senator, the second Void Walker stepped forward cloaked in silver trimmings to speak.

"Unlike the previous abominations, your power vastly exceeds your predecessors, and that alone makes you a viable threat to us. For the safety of our world, of its _true_ creatures, I put forward the motion to have this abomination removed. Permanently."

The creature Null recoiled in fear from the Void Walker's words, but more so from the loud approval it got from the rest of the congregation. The four senators spoke among each other, although from the reaction of the room it wasn't hard to figure out how the decision would turn out. With their conversing coming to a conclusion the fuchsia Arcana floated forward while raising its arms once more to bring silence to the Great Hall.

"Null, your very existence should never have come to pass, compounded with the knowledge that your creation was at the hands of our malicious master Nadir for the purpose of ruling our lands, we see just cause to have your life-"

"Let him live!"

From up above the last of the Arcana, the one Azimuth had called Mira, had spoken out on behalf of the creature. Mira floated down from the high ceiling, hovering between the senators and the creature Null. The silence of great anticipation had fallen into disbelief.

"Let him live?" Questioned the silver trimmed Void Walker.

"He's done nothing to us."

"He lives at the behest of our enemy's desire. Nadir murdered Master Azimuth and you want to protect his final creation?" The fuchsia Arcana asked.

"You've blamed him for existing and you're now condemning him for things he hasn't even done yet."

"The creature is-"

"I know you're scared. We all are." Mira cut in turning to the congregation. "For the first time we are alone, looking to ourselves for answers, and no longer have the guidance of our masters, but I ask you, is this what we are? Frightened, cowardly creatures that would kill an innocent just because he's different from us?"

There was sympathy in her voice and it grew within everyone who listened. The Last of the Arcana, Mira, had been created to be the most powerful of them to combat the abominations, but the gift Azimuth had given her was the love she felt for all living things. It may have been hard for many to come to terms with, but their anger for the creature stemmed from Nadir's betrayal and placing it upon Null by proxy.

The fuchsia Arcana returned to the other senators, once more in deliberation, taking into account Mira's plea for the life of the creature. This time the silver trimmed Void Walker stepped forth to speak.

"We cannot recognize any creation of Nadir to be our ruler, in that regard, we can accept that this creature does _not_ deserve to die for the sins of its creator. Therefore, we shall spare Null, but will require it to be banished from our kingdom to avoid any problems that may arise in the future."

The congregation seemed to be at peace with this decision. Mira turned to the creature Null, she seemed worried for the him, her face reflecting from his helm, but she smiled hoping to give it some much needed comfort. Before words could be spoken between them the Void Walkers tugged on the chains that bound Null, forcing him to move from the Great Hall. Mira has watched the Void Walkers, escorted by many Arcana, lead Null from the castle to be brought the Valley of Shadows.

That was the last time anyone had seen the creature Null, walking into the shadows of the valley, thought to be lost in the darkness forever. None would imagine that it would return with a power unlike anything the realm had seen, devouring all light within the kingdom and the stars beyond. Yet, all those that remained blamed the Last of the Arcana for sparing it when she did.

* * *

Mira floated through the decrepit halls of Castle Naught, hearing the echoes of the Storm rage further up ahead. Claw marks and handprints detailed the ruined walls, mounds of black sand beneath them, Mira chose to ignore as she had in the past, but it was reminder of what was to come.

" _Everywhere you look, there is black sand._ "

Null's voice echoed throughout the castle. It was deep, it growled, and it was cold. A sudden updraft of wind blew through the corridor, causing Mira to hold up her arms to shield her face from the flying sand that blasted past.

" _Where did it all come from?_ "

Mira lowered her arms. Her face was screwed up in anger, looking at the sand that lightly peppered her.

" _Then I realized that it's all you are. Sand and starlight._ "

Fear was beginning to course through Mira, Null was taunting her, like he had centuries ago. Wiping the sand from her limbs her eyes traced the ripples of sand carpeting the corridor. Azimuth had made each of them from the sand, a star she had plucked from the sky, and breathed life into each of them.

" _The land is a graveyard_."

Floating out into the Great Hall, Mira witnessed the Storm swirling overhead awaiting her arrival. The Storm churned, pouring itself into the castle filling the Great Hall in its clouded darkness. Null stepped out of the Storm, his husk body still tearing like paper, but he stood upright and walked unhindered. He seemed renewed, if only partially, the fire of the Elder Dragon had proven most efficient in bringing Null back from the brink of starvation.

"Did you bring the Flame Pony?" The rasp of his voice sent a chill through Mira.

Mira did not respond. Her jaw was clenched, hands balled into fists, teeth bared, and glaring at him. Null took no notice of it, stepping forward, holding out his hand to her, as if expecting to be given something.

"You've taken everything from me." Mira hissed.

"Yet you still have more to give."

Null's hand was still out reached, expecting her to surrender what power she had obtained to him. Mira raised her arms, shrieking at him, black flames erupting from her body, her eyes burning yellow, hair flourishing from her power, and her markings burning brilliantly.

"Will I have to take it from you?"

The black flames traveled to Mira's arms, forming around her hands while she floated back from Null. With his hand slowly lowering, witnessing Mira's defiance, Null was once more being engulfed by the Storm ready to battle the Arcana once again.

"You should be _used_ to taking things from me."

Dark aura trailed from Mira's fingertips, with a single slash of her hand the aura drew itself like ribbons from her fingers and cracked like whips against Null. Mira's shadow magic cut through the Storm, slicing through Null's already shredded body, but causing him to become inflamed by black fire.

Mira slashed her arms again, the shadow magic slicing through Null watching him recoil in pain from each strike. Null's agony was reflected in the Storm's groaning thunder and shrieking winds. Mira's shadow magic broke up the floor, the slashes cutting deep into the castle, leaving gashes in the walls and trenches in the ground.

Null threw out his arms causing the Storm to expand out from him. The force shattered Mira's shadow magic, throwing her back while she shielded herself from the winds with her arms. Mira's blue star dust like hair was caught in the prevailing winds, the intensity increasing, funneling around Null, and slowly drawing Mira closer in. Struggling to keep herself stationary from the increasing winds, Mira clutched her arms, causing her markings to bring with neon green light. With a sudden flourish of her arms the markings duplicated themselves, spinning wildly before her, encasing her before as her dark aura began to leach out. Mira's aura molded itself with the sphere, her own markings burning like runes upon the surface of the shield, slowing to a stop and dropping with immense weight to the ground. Even with the wild winds the Storm created the sphere would not budge.

Null stepped out from the raging Storm, witnessing Mira's attempt to defy him. With a thrust of his arm Null funneled the Storm towards the sphere. The force of the wind it generated was so immense it sheared stone and toppled the ancient rock walls of the castle. Millions of razor fine cuts littered the surface of her shield, slowing shaving away her defense, while the thunder of the Storm and howling of the winds deafened her.

Her shield was already failing, the Storm chipping away chunks of the dark aura and sending cracks throughout the sphere. Mira crossed her arms, clutching her shoulders tightly, blacks flames sprung from her body, enveloping her and having her vanish from sight. The shield failed, shattering like glass as the Storm barreled itself through digging a deep crater within the ground. Lowering his arm the Storm retreated back to rage around Null once again. Null stepped forth to view the crater, seeing nothing within it but sand and crushed rock. Stones beneath Null began to tremble, blocks were bouncing from their mortar and the sand retreated from him like water. Hundreds of shadow hands exploded from the ground beneath him, taking hold of Null's arms and legs despite his struggling. The shadow arms began to harden, restricting Null's movements further before encasing most of his body in a dark crystal.

The Storm enveloped Null, retreating back into his body, trying to shatter the crystal, and free him. With the last of the Storm entering his body, Null witnessed Mira floating before him, the rage festering behind her burning yellow eyes. Mira took hold of Null's helm, her markings searing with magic, causing her hands to become engulfed in black flames that spread across his head. Null muffled cries of anguish brought a horrific smile of pleasure to Mira. Her shadow magic cocooned around his helm, encasing the rest of his body in the dark crystal, pulling her hands from his face she floated back a ways.

Holding her arms out at her sides, Mira was drawing out large amounts of her magic, her stardust like hair being thrown about while her body excreted black flames. With a shriek vibrant beam of neon green light erupted from Mira's hands, slicing straight through the castle walls. Swinging her arms down the beams sliced through the whole of the castle and straight through the ground.

From the outside of Castle Naught the sounds of grinding rocks could be heard, the beating of blocks falling against one another, before the castle broke from the cliff face. Down it fell into the abyss, the castle breaking upon itself as it fell, with a sea of black sand rushing after it.

Mira was breathing hard, having used a considerable amount of power to manage such an attack, and stared down into the abyss hearing the echoes of the collapsing castle rise from the darkness. The whole of the world shook for a moment, giving Mira cause to back away from the ledge. A roar swelled from the abyss and with it a low but increasing rumble was felt throughout the land. Flying from the ledge, Mira soared out from what remained of the castle, trying to put as much distance from the cliff face and herself. With the roar growing in volume, the rumble becoming a quake that rocked the land of its stillness, Mira turned to see what she was returning.

From the edge of the cliff face the Storm exploded into view like a geyser that spanned the entire edge of the abyss shooting miles into the air. It encompassed the whole of the sky, billowing, twisting, churning; it ran along the cliff side dwarfing Mira to a speck. Like a wave it began to crest, thunder roaring, streaks of lightning breaking across the clouds, the winds howling and groaning from its power. Mira held up her arms blocking the sandstorm the black sand was creating, battling the haze of coarse darkness that was being chased away by the Storm. Soon the sand had passed, the miles wide Storm bearing down on her, Mira turned to flee knowing she wouldn't get far.

Groaning from the Storm grew louder, its destructive path shaking the very world itself. Mira turned to see large masses of shadows stirring with the Storm every time a bolt of lightning cut across it. From the clouds chunks of the broken castle were being hurled towards her. Massive pieces of stone struck near her, the force knocking her flight, breaking up the ground, showering her with debris.

Reaching near the center of the fields Mira turned to face the oncoming storm. Letting herself drop to the ground Mira slammed her palms upon the retreating black sand as magical runes circled out from her. The runes splintered, age old magical ciphers spun around her, the circles expanding wider and larger. Mira's dark aura was brimming from her, black flames pouring from her hands across the runes, small streaks of her blood trickled from the corners of her mouth.

The black sand that blanketed the fields of Ouoroboros were being blown back. The tops of two obelisks appeared from the receding sand, its neon green markings were beginning to pulse. Mira's own markings mirrored the obelisk's pulse, concentrating her power into her attempt to open all four portals to tear the storm from Null. With her eyes suddenly burning with yellow light, Mira twisted her hands, turning the magical ciphers as they started to spin like the inner workings of a clock.

 _"I'm sorry, Smolder."_ Mira whispered.

From the base of the storm a sudden implosion lanced out in Mira's direction, Null flew with tremendous speed, carving through the fields, catching Mira by surprise. Mira felt Null's foot collide with her chest, driving her deep into the sand before she was buried completely under his heel. With her connection broken from the ritual, the magical ciphers slowed their spin, sparking with black bolts of lightning. The exposed Obelisks reacted in a similar fashion, crackling with energy, discharging bolts of black lightning before stopping altogether and as the ciphers finally faded from view. The Storm dropped upon them, like a wave crashing down upon the shoreline, its thunderous roar echoing across the fields. Its impact nearly shattered the land open, it shook the very world to its core, washing over the fields like a mist.

Null emerged from the top of the storm, floating slowly into the air, looking down into the ocean of the storm that lay before him, flecks of husk hide slowly tearing away. A sudden mass within the Storm began to mound, the clouds rolled over attempting to hold it back but the mass continued to rise. Streaks of yellow light breached the clouds, the mass swelled like a boil before it tore itself open revealing Azimuth leaping up through the storm at Null with her hand outstretched. Azimuth's hand closed around Null, grasping him firmly within her fist, before falling back to the ground and landing on all fours. The storm clouds wrapped itself over her limbs, attempting to bring Azimuth down. With her free hand, Azimuth swiped the Storm with such force that it dissipated from the force of the breeze she generated. Driving her closed fist into the ground caused the fields to explode throwing massive rocks high into the air while black sand poured into the crevasses and clouded the air with dust. Raising her fist Azimuth opened her hand to find the crushed body of Null with her palm, closing her fist tightly she threw him hard onto the ground before lifting her foot to stomp him flat.

The world shook from each drive of Azimuth's foot being brought down upon Null. Mira's voice was amplified by Azimuth's size, yet all she could muster were crazed grunts of exhaustion trying to obliterate him. Azimuth's yellow eyes were quickly beginning to fade, her strikes were weakening, imitating the ragged breaths Mira had. Weakly raising her arms high over her head, Azimuth clenched her fists preparing to deliver one final blow to Null. With a shriek Azimuth brought her fists down, the impact sent a mile long crack throughout the fields of Ouroboros causing millions of tons of sand to fall through. Stumbling backwards, nearly falling off balance, Azimuth's arms dropped to her sides with Mira's labored breathing echoing across the kingdom.

From the shattered ground the Storm began to rise like smoke, Azimuth dropped to her knees, Mira no longer able to generate the power needed to sustain her link. Lightning broke across the storm clouds, gathering high over her head, the violent intensity of the Storm being perpetuated by the rolling thunder. The storm clouds dove towards her, driving itself into the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears of Azimuth. It bore into her, Azimuth's face beginning to split, large gashes forming across her body as parts of the Storm expelled from them. Azimuth was being torn to shreds from the inside out, her body slowly being eaten away by the Storm. The Eternal Master's body withered away, dissolving within the clouds of the Storm, until only Mira remained collapsed upon the sand.

Mira's stardust like hair was a pale blue, her eyes a soft yellow, and her markings a washed out green. Her power was spent, having nothing left in reserve, feeling the cold black sand between her fingers knowing that her time had come. The sand quickly rushed from her fingers, the Storm thundering up above, as Null descended down to her. His fractured helm searing a fiery red, his husk like body slowly tearing itself away, and yet it Null stood motionless before her. Mira rose to her feet, grinding her teeth in anger.

"I'm not… finished."

With a weak thrust of her arm, Mira could not produce enough power to cast any of her magic, only succeeding in falling before Null once more. Mira could feel the sand shifting closer to her, she glanced up seeing Null walking towards her and she knew that she had nothing left to defend herself. The sound of tearing could be heard from Null's husk body, his steps beside Mira before stepping past her and continuing on. Lifting her head from the ground, Mira looked back towards him, watching him walk across the field towards something further out. Null continued to walk, the storm raging above them, slowly inching its way with him before stopping in the distance. Mira watched Null kneel for a moment, it was confusing to her what he was doing, until a sudden fear gripped her heart at what was hidden beneath the sand: the Obelisks.

Digging her hands into the sand, Mira dragged herself across the ground, trying to get her feet under her so that she could run. Null bolted up, whipping his head towards Mira, holding up his hand the storm descended upon her. The storm rushed towards Null, enveloping him while passing through, before clearing Null and leaving Mira clutched by the throat in his hand. Her hands helplessly gripped Null's arm, weakly trying to fend him off, feeling her hands slip off, and choking for breath.

"Something has been stirring in the darkness. The flame ponies, the dragon, and it all revolves around you." Null spoke. "There is life beyond our own, beyond this realm, and you've hidden it from me."

Tossing Mira down onto the ground, Null gripped the back of her head and slammed her face into the sand before the exposed points of the Obelisks.

"Open it."

There was no attempt by Mira to escape, not a finger lifted in the attempt to open the portal, but just her tensing body waiting for the next painful blow she'd receive from him. Lifting Mira up by the head, he held her out before the exposed Obelisks. Taking notice of her faded colors, Null could see that her power had diminished, and that the portal would require more than what she could provide.

"Call to the flame pony."

Mira reached up, taking hold of Null's fingers and began to try to weakly pry them from her head. Refusing to do what he commanded of her. Watching her resist him, even in her diminished state, only caused the storm to rage about them in Null's anger.

"The last flame pony appeared after hearing your screams." Null's grip tightened, squeezing Mira's head causing her to shriek in pain, clawing at his fingers for him to let go. "Let's see how long this one takes to save you."

Mira shrieked and screamed, tears rolling down the sides of her face trying helplessly to free herself. Null looked around seeing not so much of a speck of light and it only angered him. Null held out his free hand, his husk like fingers beginning to wrap themselves tighter to form long fiery needles that flaked with pieces of ember.

"I will not be denied my destiny!"

He centered one of the needles at the center of Mira's back, slowly piercing her skin, and earning a wealth of screams from her. Mira gripped his hand, helplessly trying to keep him from digging any further. Null drove the needle in, causing Mira to cry out, sending her shrieks echoing across the fields. Null raised another long needle to her, pressing it upon her back, but felt the sand beneath him begin to shift. Several yards away a sudden torrent of fire exploded from the sand and sailed high up into the sky. Another cyclone burst forth, then another and another before pillars of fire littered the area. From beneath him a flash of fire seared across the sand, an explosion of fire consumed Null, throwing him high up into the air from the sudden impact. Null screeched in pain, the fire setting him ablaze as Mira slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. The Storm shuddered in pain, twisting itself after Null, unable to help him from the fire that burned it so.

Mira felt herself falling, landing on something firm yet rather familiar, there was a warmth to it, a heartbeat that raced wildly. Null was thrown from the fire, dropping from the air and colliding hard into the sand below. Immediately the Storm dove to him, surrounding him, flourishing in its power as Null got to its feet slowly. Part of its husk body were slowly reforming, shreds of paper like skin slowly reattaching themselves before Null turned to the bright ball of fire standing several yards away.

"Flame pony..." Null hissed.

Mira's eyes barely opened, the yellow and red fire of Smolder's flames surrounded her, she could see his wings raised for her protection. It felt like a knife stabbing her in the heart.

"...why..." Mira whispered.

"You're my friend, Mira." I said to her. "And I made you a promise."

I could feel Mira's hand weakly gripping my side. She was weak, injured, and I knew I needed to get her someplace safe to help her, but the one called Null gazed at me with such a lifeless stare. It felt hollow, empty, and above all else it appeared to be hungry. Null began to walk towards me, the Storm roaring in its challenge, but I stood my ground it.

"You have something of mine, flame pony." Null's raspy voice hissed.

"I am Smolder, King of the Ashen Fields, and you will _not_ touch her again!"


	48. Chapter 48: Unavoidable Choices

Water from the lake was gradually being drained. Inch by inch the Obelisks were being revealed and step by step Applejack and Rainbow Dash were stepping closer. Daring Do circled the pillars, scribbling notes and sketching the markings open the Obelisks.

"How exactly are these things supposed to stop the Storm?" Rainbow Dash questioned looking at the Obelisks strangely.

"Tear said something about activating the portals. Apparently all of them in unison would have had some sort of effect on it." Daring Do replied checking her notes.

"Seems rather complicated having to coordinate something like this, especially how far apart each set is." Applejack commented.

Daring Do slowly floated away from the Obelisks taking some interest in Applejack's statement.

"So what _does_ happen when one of these Obelisks turn on?"

"There was like this weird green pulse that came off of them." Rainbow Dash began. "Then there was this booming crack that filled the air before a big black orb appeared formed in the middle of the air."

Daring Do hesitant to write. "Are you serious?"

"That's pretty much what happened. Aside from the orb drawing itself thin and snapping open like a party popper." Applejack added.

"Kind of like what it's doing now." Rainbow Dash mentioned pointing her hoof towards the Obelisks.

The markings upon the Obelisks were beginning to pulse a dark purple. Magical neon green cipher appeared at their base gleaming through the water. The runes within the cipher began to appear, like wheels each line of runes began to spin in opposite directions, increasing in speed.

"What in the hay is going on?" Applejack shouted in surprise.

Just as quickly as the cipher had appeared, the pulse of the Obelisk began to weaken and the runes slowing from their spin. Black bolts of lightning emanated from the Obelisks, causing loud claps of thunder, just as the bolts struck Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash in an instant.

The thunder drew crowds of jungle ponies to the edge of the lake, their voices raised with concern as the jungle soldier ponies arrived to handle the situation. Chieftain Talon rushed from the village towards the crowd gathering near the draining lake to find out what had transpired.

"What is all the commotion about? Where did the sound of thunder come from?" Talon demanded reaching edge of the lakebed.

"Chieftain, it's the outsiders." A soldier pony spoke up from down in the draining lake.

"What of them? Where are they?"

"They're gone, there is no trace of them, sir."

Within the muddy and mucky sludge of the bottom of the lake were two sets of hoof prints where Applejack and Rainbow Dash once stood. Talon's eyes were drawn to the Obelisks, a soft glow slowly dying from them, as small cracks of black lightning spurted from its markings.

* * *

Duke Wellington stood where Rarity and Pinkie Pie was last seen. All that remained was a single strand of hair Rarity's luscious mane and some confetti from Pinkie Pie. Flabbergasted by the sudden light show the Obelisks had put on, the Duke had no pony else but Misses Minerva and Mr. Bartlesby to derive answers from.

"What happened? Where are they?" The Duke demanded rather harshly.

"I don't know sir, it must have a defense mechanism on that thing." Mr. Bartlesby hazard a guess staring flabbergasted at the Obelisks.

"And what we going to do just stand around her with our mouths open?"

"No, sir!" Misses Minerva replied nervously.

"Well find them! Bring them back!"

"Yes, sir!"

Mr. Bartlesby and Misses Minerva rushed off, unsure of what they could possibly do to meet the Duke's demands, but began going through their research all the same. The Duke stared at the fading runes beneath the Obelisks, sneering at the trouble this would surely bring, and feeling his stomach drop at the thought of those two being lost within the Void as well.

* * *

Lord Tundra flew with great speed over the arctic tundra of Frozen North, heading towards the White Walk where Sapphire and her expedition team had gone to search for the Obelisks. Lady Frost followed close by, trying her best to keep up with him and subvert his rather dated views of his daughter.

"Sapphire is old enough to do things on her own now, Charles!" Lady Frost called to him.

"Leading an expedition into the White Walk is not a sign of maturity, Martha! It's insanity!" Lord Tundra shouted back sounding rather frightened.

While Lady Frost thought the world of Sapphire, there was no contest in which of them would tear the world inside out to protect their daughter. Lady Frost would honestly say it was her, but knew that Lord Tundra would not hesitate to bring utter ruin to any pony that simply made their Sapphire cry. Something had caught Lord Tundra's eye, Lady Frost watched him dive out of the air towards the ground below and she quickly followed suit. Landing in a rather spacious area of fresh powdered snow, Lord Tundra gazed out into the valley wide eyed.

"Charles…" Lady Frost began striding up to him.

"It's gone." Lord Tundra remarked in amazement.

"What is?"

"The White Walk. It should be here, but it's not."

Lady Frost took a moment to process what he had said. It suddenly dawned on her that the area in which they stood was several miles in to the White Walk already, having crossed the border a while ago without realizing it.

"How can this be?" Lady Frost questioned it.

"It… must have been Sapphire and her friends." Lord Tundra muttered.

Lady Frost took his hoof, nuzzling her head against his shoulder. Lord Tundra looked down at her, seeing her smile back up at him. He smiled too.

"She's not a filly anymore, Charles. She's your strength and courage. Once she has her heart set on something there is no stopping her." Lady Frost told him.

"She gets that from you." Lord Tundra remarked with a smile.

"I know it's hard for you, being her father and having to watch her rely less and less on you for things, but she will always _need_ her father. You've shown her what a good, decent colt should be, and how to slug one if the need ever arises."

"I've never created anything as beautiful or as pure as what _we_ have with Sapphire. I'm so afraid of losing that."

Lady Frost kissed him on the cheek, trying to comfort his worried heart.

"Let's find her and the others. Then you can tell her that."

Lifting her wings once more, Lord Tundra followed suit with a smile. The two rulers of the Frozen North took flight into the arctic winds, soaring over the White Walk in search of Sapphire's expedition team. It wasn't too long after that they spied two large pillars in the distance, the Obelisks looming on the horizon. As the two of them grew closer the making of a camp could be seen with a rather odd sight, there were just three ponies crowding near the Obelisks. Lady Frost and Lord Tundra floated down towards the edge of the campsite where Floe rushed towards them looking very upset.

"Lady Frost! Lady Frost!" Floe shouted sounding rather frightened.

Lady Frost quickly drew him in with her arm, wrapping her wing around him to comfort him. Lord Tundra could see the two Hearth siblings still poking around the Obelisks.

"What is it, Floe? What happened? Where is your sister and the others?" Lady Frost asked in a calm but concerned voice.

"The Obelisks began to power up from a ritualistic quad cipher when the spell failed halfway through! There was a unstable feedback of dark energy that caused a discharge of black magic that struck Sapphire and the others!" Floe shouted.

"A ritualistic what?" Lord Tundra questioned looking puzzled.

"Sapphire and the others got pulled into the Void!" Floe cried.

Deep within the White Walk, where large frozen ice columns of ancient ice pony ruins once stood, the ethereal caribou walked silently atop the snow. From far away a single word 'what' reached its ears, shaking thousands of years of old snow from the columns around it. It paused to look back in curious interest as to what had happened.

* * *

Black lightning erupted within the dark caves beneath the fields of Ouroboros. In a flash of black fire, Princess Celestia and Wingston found themselves standing within a very dark tunnel looking disoriented. Rubbing his long fingers against his eyes Wingston stepped forward, jabbing his staff into the black sand beneath his feat, noticing rock not too far beneath him. Princess Celestia stepped up with him, her horn giving off a bright glow of white light to the darkened area around them. It appeared to be a rather large cave lined with black rock and carpeted with black sand. Looking behind themselves, there were two large Obelisks imbedded with the rock wall, bit of black lightning sparking from them as it quickly faded away.

"This isn't happening." Princess Celestia mumbled.

"We've been pulled into the Void somehow." Wingston stated.

"How is that even possible? What could have done this?"

"I'm sure that whatever happened, it is in some way tied to Smolder."

Princess Celestia turned her head about the cave. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Turning back around, Princess Celestia noticed Wingston already limping off into a tunnel.

"Hey!" Princess Celestia called out hurrying to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to find out where this tunnel leads." Wingston explained to her.

"I can _see_ that, but can you not see that _we_ are now trapped in the Void?"

"Not really what I was expecting, but I gathered as much."

"Shouldn't we come up with a plan before wandering aimlessly through these tunnels?"

"This is my plan, wander aimlessly though these tunnels until I find something."

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes at him. Recollections of Smolder's similar attitude when approaching plans had Princess Celestia questioning if Wingston had been a major source of influence.

"Nevertheless, this was unexpected and ill timed." Princess Celestia remarked.

"Most things in life are." Wingston replied.

"If I didn't know any better I think you're happy with our current development."

"I would never wish for any harm or misfortune to fall upon you, my Lady."

""If I didn't know any better I think you're happy with our current development."

"I would never wish for any harm or misfortune to fall upon you, my Lady."

"You want to find Smolder, don't you?"

"Do you not?"

Princess Celestia pursed her lips. The idea was not the first to pop into her mind, but seeing as they were stuck here it would seem like the best course of action to take. Walking on, they found that the tunnel to a rather steep slope that Wingston surely could not make on his own without slipping and falling into the darkness. Graciously accepting Princess Celestia's assistance, her climbed up upon her back and the two ventured down into the darkness below.

* * *

Null stepped across the black sand of Ouroboros, his shredded body spewing clouds of the storm, taking his time to reach me. He resembled my father, but inverse. His body torn, power seething from him, instead of rage there was a hunger that surrounded him. For the first time in my life I felt my blood run cold. Where my father had sought to rule and the Orc fought to conquer, this Dark King only sought to feed.

"Your words mirror the last flame pony that stood against me." Null's raspy voice cut through the air.

His approach was prefaced by strong winds thrown by the storm surging from his body. My flames were blasted back, feeling the great emptiness that resided within him.

"I killed it slowly, listening to its cries as I tore its life from it."

I took a step forward. My fire exploded from my body with a thunderous boom and that roared in my silent anger. I felt Mira's fingers weakly claw into my sides, for some reason she was refusing to absorb my fire to sustain herself.

"You… can't win… Smolder." Mira whispered.

"Your confidence is very reassuring." I muttered. "Hurry up and take some of my power before this kicks off."

I felt Mira slide from my back, rolling off of my wing and landing in the black sand. Turning back to her, I could see Mira's stardust like hair a ghostly white, her markings lacking even a shred of green. Kneeling down to her I could tell that Mira wasn't going to last much longer.

"Hand over the Arcana, flame pony King, and I shall promise you a quick death." Null commanded holding out his hand to us.

"I already told you." I stated aloud. "You will _not_ touch her again."

"A slow death it is then."

Null raised his arm with storm exploding from his palm, billowing towards us in a deafening roar that echoed throughout the world. The impact of the storm threw a cloud of sand into the air, the ground being pulverized by its force. A streak of fire flashed across the fields, Null's eyes tracing it, watching the flame pony run.

Sprinting across the endless sea of black sand, I carried Mira upon my back again, using my magic to secure her to me. The sand was working against me, my hooves digging deep, my fire flaring through the sand and absorbing much of my speed. Mira was fading fast. I could only assume that within her weakened state she could not recover on her own. I couldn't fight Null knowing that I would be leaving Mira to die and I decided to chose to run than face him now.

A monstrous groan rolled over head. I watched the storm reach out like an arm before striking itself down hard against the ground before us. Bolting to the side I raced along the edge of the storm, dragging itself against the ground to give chase. It felt like a tornado was chasing us, the black sand being pulled from beneath us, the winds howling with its thunderous groan drawing ever closer. A length of the storm drew itself from its massive size, like a tentacle reaching out, flinging itself towards us. I leaped to the side watching nearly a mile long wall of the storm come crashing down beside us. Glancing over my shoulder I could see the mass of the storm creating more cyclones that stretched out from it like fingers. The first twister touched ground before us, having only just dodged it with a hard flap of my wings to throw myself to the side. Mantling over the upturned earth that scarred the land, I flared open my wings and took the air.

Two more twisters struck down trying to consume us, but my flying took us further and faster from the storm. My Flash Step burning hard to increase my speed beyond my own capabilities. I banked around the swirling vortexes of the storm, watching the clouds reach out for us, but fail to grasp us. The cyclones raced after us, like snakes slithering through the air, trying to catch us out of the air. Flying wasn't something I felt I had mastered yet. It felt almost as natural as running at times, but the disorientation of flying upside and not knowing where the ground was made difficult to fly unhindered. Lifting one of my wings a bit higher I rolled over a stretching cyclone before diving towards the ground with tremendous speed. The storm was quick to follow, the cyclones forming into one massive tornado that drove itself hard towards the ground.

I pulled in my wings, tucking my head and hooves close to my body, tumbling like a small ball towards the ground. In the last moment I flared out my wings, feeling my fire leap from hooves and propelling me like a shot straight across the top of the fields. The storm impacted behind us, the tornado collapsing, although spreading itself wide like water crashing after us. The clouds formed just like a wave raising itself high to envelope us. I beat my wings hard, trying to climb higher into the air, using my flames to propel me away from the reach of the storm. Up ahead I could see the makings of a city, it was massive to behold, it loomed in the darkness and I felt it was our best chance of hiding from the storm.

I cut low out of the air, feeling my hooves drag across the sand, feeling the swell of the storm right behind me. With a sharp turn I flew straight through a destroyed wall of a building, before smashing through the glass of an already shattered window. The storm impacted the side of the city, crashing over it like water on rocks, pouring itself into the ruins, the streets, and alleys. It felt like maze, with my speed I made split second decisions to lean right and left, flying through open doorframes or shattered windows. I could hear the storm groaning all around me. The ruins of these buildings provided me just momentary protection before the storm crushed it to rubble behind me. Flying through the missing wall of a four story building I found myself out in open air, a wide open area that had remnants of old markets that had long since been abandoned. The buildings behind us exploded into rubble, the storm crashing through with its cyclones slithering after us.

Movement from the corner of my eye had me looking to my that moment I turned to see Null staring back at me, strands of the storm swirling from his back as if he were a puppet on strings. I could see that searing helmet up close, his husk hide tearing away, and I could feel that emptiness that surrounded him.

"You will not deny me my destiny!" Null's voice boomed over the storm.

Shadow magic flared from his hands, black lightning sparking from his arms, Null lunged out taking me by the throat before bringing us both crashing down into the city below. The storm washed over the market place, pouring into every street and building groaning in its power.

A thin bead of light broke the surface of the storm. With a sudden swell of its clouds the storm spewed a pillar of fire high into the air forcing it to retreat with its winds howling pain. Null had been thrown back by my flames, slamming hard through a ruined building, having taken the last of what was supporting it and having it collapse in on him. I stood breathing hard, a noticeable bruise upon my neck from where Null had grabbed me, hundreds of cuts from the storm lined my body and I felt so very cold. Parts of the storm were still burning from my flames, but it was quick to try and consume me again. My horn brimmed with magic, flaring my flames from every part of my body and forming dome of fire around us. With a sudden thunderous clap the dome of fire expanded out, burning the storm back as the fire swirled like a typhoon. Eventually the flames died away, small embers falling from the air, the flame pony and the Arcana gone from sight as the storm groaned in anger.

From the rubble Null stood from the ruined building staring at where the flame pony once stood. The lingering flames upon his body burnt themselves out with storm raging over his head. Raising his hand towards the storm, Null stopped abruptly staring intensely at his now shaking hand. There was silver skin where the blackened husk should have been, taut, untorn, smooth, and it felt warm. The storm fell upon him, Null's cries of anguish shrieking within its thunder as it consumed his hand. Falling upon his knees, Null drew his hand to his face again, seeing the familiar blackened husk that peeled from his skin.

"What is this magic?" Null hissed.

* * *

I kept my flames low, walking along a tunnel beneath the city, taking each step carefully hoping to remain hidden. During the expanse of my fire shield I ran towards a building to make our escape and found a tunnel inside. I dropped in, using my magic to bury the entrance and hoped to Celestia that the storm would not find us again. I winced at the cuts I felt over my body, the storm felt like a blanket of razors being dragged over me, and the grip that Null had felt as if he was trying to crush my windpipe. I had never imagined Null and this storm being so powerful, Mira claimed it to be starving but it didn't appear weak at all.

"Mira…" I whispered.

Lifting her with my wings from my back I placed her on the ground before me. Her body had gone limp, I lowered my ear to mouth to hear her struggling to breathe. I brought my hoof under Mira's head, lifting up to face, pressing my horn against her head to share my power with her.

"No…" Mira whispered to me.

I lifted my horn from her. Mira's eyes were barely open, a glossy grey instead of their normal yellow.

"It's okay, Mira. Take it." I brought her hand to my face.

"I have… to die…"

I held her tighter in my arms. "No, no, no, no you don't. I'm here, Mira. I can save you."

"It's okay… Smolder…"

"It's not okay!"

Mira managed to smile at me, seeing how upset this had made me.

"Null can't… escape when I'm gone…"

"We can defeat, together this time, just like we planned."

"Goodbye… Smolder…"

"Mira, please!"

Mira's eyes had fallen shut. I gasped trying to keep myself from becoming emotional, holding Mira close to me as I slightly rocked back and forth cradling her. I was about to lose her, just how I've lost everyone else I tried to save.

"Mira, can you hear me?" I whispered to her.

I was met with silence.

"If you think I'm going to let you die then you've forgotten who you're dealing with it. I've lost a lot of things in my life, ponies I loved very dearly, and it's all because _they_ made a choice. Now, you still have a choice before you. You can stay with me and we can save your world together or you can die right here, right now, and I promise you I will find a way to bring you back. And don't even bother telling me that it's impossible, that it can't be done, because you know that I'm stupid enough to try anything if it means saving some pony I love."

I placed my hoof upon Mira's chest, looking down at her with a very determined expression.

"Now, you have just one question answer, Mira, how is this going to end?"

After everything Mira had been through, all of her suffering and torment, I was being selfish in asking her to continue fighting, to be with me. I couldn't bear to lose again, to have some pony I cared for being taken from me by the cruelty of another. All of my doubts and sadness faded away feeling Mira's hands grip my hoof.

"I didn't… deserve…" Tears beginning to well in her eyes. "A friend like you…"

"Of course you did."

I felt my strength begin to fade, it didn't care though, Mira had decided to stay. The white stardust of her hair began to run with a soft shade of blue, her marking softly glowing green again, but that was all the fire she took from me. Covering her mouth Mira coughed hoarsely, her breathing still labored, with spots of blood on her hands.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I need… to get home…" Mira mumbled clutching her chest.

I didn't' see anything wrong with Mira's chest before, carefully turning her on her side I could see a cauterized hole in her back. A mixture of anger and fear swept over me, realizing that Mira dying may not be entirely up to her now. I had no idea where Mira's cave was from here, this tunnel could lead anywhere or nowhere, but I knew if I could find Azimuth's Tomb I could get her home. Lifting Mira with my wings, I carefully laid her upon my back, feeling her arms grip my neck tightly.

"Just hang on, Mira."

Together we set off down the tunnel, my flames still burning strong, while Mira's soft blue stardust like hair trailed in the air.

"Smolder?" Mira asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"You're still a stupid… flame pony."

I found myself smiling. Folding my wings over her I walked on, knowing I had won one small battle today, and it made all the difference to me.


	49. Chapter 49: Gambling in the Dark

The light from my flames etched out the long dark tunnel. I walked for nearly an hour, never coming across a turn or bend, and was beginning to wonder if I was stuck in some sort of loop. Every so often a jutted rock or low ceiling was enough to reassure me that I was at least progressing further and not looping back in on itself. Mira had fallen silent, her stardust like hair a pale blue, but her subtle strained breathing let me know she was still with me. While looking over my shoulder to check on her my hoof hit a loose patch of sand that had me bracing myself to stop from falling. Pain surged through my body, the razor thin cuts I had gotten from the storm stung something awful, but I grinded my teeth until it passed.

"He'll be looking for you." Mira mumbled softly.

I could feel Mira's fingers tracing some of my cuts. Standing up right again I tried to pretend that I wasn't bothered by it and walked on.

"I… really don't know what I was expecting." I said feeling honest about our first encounter. "He's a lot more powerful than he looks."

"So are you."

I smiled to myself. "Where did the storm come from, Mira?"

"No one knows. We banished Null to the Valley of Shadows and he returned with it. He brought all the creatures we-"

Mira coughed hard, wheezing between fits, gripping my shoulder with her free hand while covering her mouth with the other. I stopped short, looking over my shoulder at her to see if she was alright. Patting me on the shoulder, doing her best to draw a clear breath she settled back down and I continued on.

"What did he do to you?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it."

A flare of my flames was all Mira needed to know of my anger over what Null had done to her. I didn't press my question. Whatever he did must have been unbelievably painful for her not to want to talk about it and that only made my flames burn hotter.

"I never thought he'd find out about the portals." Mira mentioned. "I was banking on him killing me."

I snorted my dislike for her way of thinking. "Don't say things like that."

"It's why I'm dying, Smolder. This is my fault."  
"What are you talking about?"

"I consumed the venom of Apep, believing that Null would consume me in turn. I'd poison him as a final farewell, to have him wither away, and die alone in this place."

"You did what?" I asked turninn my head towards her.

"I was ready to die, Smolder. I had made my peace." Mira confessed.

"You're… you're… the stupidest Arcana I know." I hissed at her.

Mira chuckled softly. It pained me to know that Mira didn't believe that I could help her, rather that I was just some sort of battery she could use when she needed it, but what really hurt was Mira's resolve to die. I could only imagine what it must been like, as if all of Equestria had fallen to this storm, having to lose all of my friends and loved ones to this monster. How could any pony not want to put an end to their own lonely suffering?

"Why did you banish him?" I asked after a time.

"Null? It wasn't my choice, the other Arcana wanted to kill him, and I was foolish enough to ask them not to." Mira replied with a cough.

"But why?"

"Nadir had killed Azimuth, stealing her light. From it he made Null, or at least that is what everyone called him. He was different, a smaller version of our Eternal Masters, but no one would accept for what he was. They saw him as an abomination just like all the others."

"But you didn't."

Mira fell quiet. Soft hissing seared off of my mane, Mira's tears evaporating off my hide.

"He was all alone and so afraid. They were so cruel to him, hid his face with that helmet, just for being different. I got them to spare him and it cost me... everything."

"Being kind is never wrong."

I walked on in silence. Trying to imagine Null before the storm, a creature created by an evil force, treated like an enemy and being alone in dark place. In some ways it echoed my father, I could almost relate to this Null creature, but from his husk like body it seemed that Null's hatred had nearly eaten him alive.

"Were there others? Creatures like Null I mean." I asked.

"No, he was the only one of his kind. Nadir had tried before to make life, having created Apep, Hoopoe, and Kana." Mira muttered. "There were other creatures, some were just experiments to test his abilities while others were much more sinister."

"Like what?"

"The fiend Aswang."

"What in the hay is a Aswang?" I asked.

* * *

Daring Do raised her torch high over her head, illuminating the darkness around them while Applejack and Rainbow Dash huddled close to her. It didn't take long for them to realize that they had been unwilling travelers to the Void, but to where they were exactly was still any pony's guess. All that could be seen was what light Daring Do's torch could reach. The silence was bone chilling as the crackling of the torch seemed to roar in comparison.

"Would any pony like to tell me what's going on?" Daring Do whispered.

"We got sucked into the Void, that's what's going on!" Rainbow Dash hissed back.

"Don't any pony panic, that's the first thing ponies do in stressful situations." Applejack warned them.

"Who's panicking? I'm not panicking!" Rainbow Dash bravely while clutching Applejack's hoof.

Thunder broke the silence, lightning flashed across the sky in the distance. Every pony screamed, Daring Do having dropped her torch as Applejack and Rainbow Dash suddenly clung to her in fright. The flames of the torch fizzled away, being swept over by the shifting sands, while howling winds began to blow with great force. Lightning streaked across the darkness, coloring the storm that drifted across the sky with a bipedal creature floating within it. The low rumble of the groaning storm shook the world around them. Bolts of lightning revealed its movements in short flashes, pouring itself into a castle perched upon a cliffside and settling inside. No pony dared move a muscle.

"Is that the thing that grabbed the thing and pulled the thing into this thing?" Daring Do asked in a sharp whisper.

"That's the thing." Rainbow Dash hissed back.

"Well I ain't standing around out here for another apple bucking second. We got to find some place to lay low." Applejack whispered.

"Where the hay did my torch go?" Daring Do asked feeling around in the darkness.

"We can't light the torch again that storm is going to see us." Rainbow Dash retorted trying to find it first.

"How the hay are we going to find a place to hide when I can't see my own hoof in front of my face?"

"Would you two be quiet! We don't know what might be lurking out here!" Applejack hissed at both of them.

Together the three ponies struggled against one another, trying to find the torch in the sand, scrambling in the darkness. Applejack's hoof stepped out expecting to find more sand, but found her leg dangling in open air. Taking a firm hold of both Rainbow Dash's and Daring Do's arms to brace herself, Applejack's weight pulled both of them down with her as they fell. Tumbling down the steep slope of the sand Applejack felt herself slipping off the edge of the sandy slope before dropping into nothingness. For several seconds each pony fell before landing on a heap of piled sand before being buried by more of it that had fallen with them.

"Rainbow Dash? Daring Do?" Applejack whispered pulling herself out from the sand.

"I'm okay." Daring Do's voice drifted from the darkness.

"I goth sand in muah mouf." Rainbow Dash's muffled voice soon followed.

A thud accompanied a sharp yelp from Rainbow Dash. Applejack attempted to feel her way through the darkness trying to figure out if she was alright.

"Rainbow, are you okay?" Applejack whispered.

"I found the torch." Rainbow Dash replied in a rather annoyed tone.

Sudden flashes of sparks broke through the darkness, Daring Do striking her flint and steel together so get a small glimpse of where every pony was. After a few more strikes, Daring Do found her way over to Rainbow Dash, feeling the torch being passed over she struck the flint and steel several more times until the cloth caught fire. The torch roared to life, Daring Do swinging it high over head to see, finding Applejack a stone's throw away and Rainbow Dash beside her.

"It looks like we fell into some sort of ravine." Daring Do muttered.

Applejack stepped over to Rainbow Dash to help her to her hooves. Looking up to where they had fallen to barely see the difference in the blackness of the sky and rock walls.  
"I'd say it would be best to stay low and out of sight for the time being." Applejack remarked.

"This torch might last us a few more hours so we'll need to find something to burn or give off light before then." Daring Do informed them.

"Not to be the neigh say pony, but look where we freaking are! There's sand, rocks, sand, more sand, a giant evil storm, sand and more sand!" Rainbow Dash hissed harshly at her.

Applejack reached over, putting a hoof on her shoulder to help calm her down.

"Let's not lose our heads, Rainbow Dash. We know next to nothing about this place and who's to say that there aren't something down here we can use to give off some sort of light. We just need to keep a level head until then."

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, leaning on Applejack for support as Daring Do swiped her torch around trying to get her bearings.

"There's a cave or something just over there. If anything it will keep us out of that storm's sight and it might give us some place to make camp." Daring Do told them.

Sliding down the sloping sand dunes, Daring Do led the way for every pony towards the cave, finding it to go much deeper than she had previously thought. Entering the cave, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stuck close to Daring Do who kept the torch high over her head to provide every pony with as much light as she could. It appeared to be like any other cave or tunnel they had been in back home, but there was the sense of not knowing that made them feel at unease. The torch did not last for a few more hours, it barely even made it an hour into the tunnel before the flame grew weak and started to flicker.

"Don't we have anything left to burn?" Rainbow Dash asked almost pleadingly.

"I wasn't really planning on being sucked into a different dimension of absolute darkness, so no, I don't have anything left to burn." Daring Do remarked sounding rather annoyed.

"I got this here handkerchief. It ain't much, but I hope it helps." Applejack offered removing her hat and producing it to her.

"That'll work."

Daring Do carefully wrapped the handkerchief around the torch, watching it blaze before settling to a moderate flame again. It would only give them a few more precious minutes of light, but every second counted in this place. Walking on the they found themselves entering a large expanse, the area was large, wide, and with high rock walls. It looked like a underground cavern, although it seemed to be much larger and wider than any pony had ever seen in Equestria. The torches light casted further revealing something in the dark just up ahead, it was hard to make out, it seemed to be hunched over. No pony wanted to move, words seemed to fail them as the creature lifted its head revealing much of itself. It's body was boney, littered with sores, skin a ghoulish gree, its head was large, but its eyes sat like beach balls upon its face. The squelching sound of meat being chewed filled the came, the snapping of jaws ringing in furious rhythm, and that's when it turned to them. Bits of pinkish meat slid from its needle like fangs, juices from the fallen maggot worm dribbled from the creatures lips, and its bloodshot eyes stared intensely at them.

"Nadir had created a creature that was deformed in size, a failed shapeshifter that he had bestowed great intellect to, but drove it crazy in the process. It devolved to its baser instincts, craving flesh over light, finding joy in fooling its prey with games and words, before eating them. We never caught the creature." Mira explained.

"It doesn't eat light?" I asked.

"Aswang hated the light. It hid itself in darkness. Its eyes could not handle the intensity of it. Which made it nearly impossible to find, unless you were unfortunate to stumble across it in the dark."

"So how do you beat it?"

"You don't."

* * *

"What the _hay_ am I looking at guys?" Daring Do hissed mortified by the creature.

Rainbow Dash was turned away making retching sounds while Applejack had her hat covering her nose and mouth trying to become sick herself.

" _Words! You know words! Aswang loves words!_ " The creature screeched.

The creature smiled wide, revealing the mess of flesh between its teeth, stalking them just outside the reach of the light. Its eyes straining to see them.

"What in the hay is a Aswang?" Rainbow Dash asked through a dry heave.

"Aswang is me. Hungry for meat. Soft flesh between my teeth. Juicy meat."

"I don't like the sound of that." Applejack replied.

Daring Do could see that the creature had long fingers and was quite nimble for being so thin. Thrusting the torch out towards it the creature retreated back, avoiding the touch of the light before pacing around on the edge of darkness once again.

"It doesn't seem to like the light all that much." Daring Do concluded.

" _Put it down. Let Aswang in. Love friends. Good friends. Morsels of colored meat I need to feel your screams in my teeth!_ " The creature known as Aswang shrieked.

The creature grew in length, drawing itself out like a snake, face never changing, its long fingers still protruding from its sides, making it more disfigured and far more vile than before.

" _Long it is. Words I cannot hear. Worms moan. Worms groan. Not words. Just meat. Eat you slow! Make you talk!_ "

"I get the funny feeling that this thing wants us for dinner." Applejack mumbled.

"What was your first clue?" Rainbow Dash asked looking a bit pale.

Aswang rolled itself up, tumbling into a ball, its long fingers growing like legs and its bulging eyes doubling up. It resembled a spider, one that young fillies or foals would draw, but seeing such a misshapen being upclose was nightmarish.

"You want to talk? Let's talk!" Daring Do stated aloud.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash hissed at her.

"Once our torch goes out that's it. I'm going to try and find a way out of this because I'd rather not end up like that maggot over there."

" _Aswang talks! Talk is fun! Games we play! Die or run!_ " Aswang shrieked.

"What sort of game?" Applejack asked aloud.

Aswang skittered into the darkness of the cavern. Its voice did not respond. The torch started to flicker again, reminding them time was not on their side. Slowly Aswang moved back into view, staring far from the light, its eyes were narrowed, jaws wide in a smile, it carried with it a small stone block.

" _Guess a number! Roll the die! Step to far and you will die! Roll correct and Aswang will starve! Guess wrong! Guess Wrong! Aswang will !_ "

"Did that make any sense to you?" Rainbow Dash whispered to them.

"We guess a number and roll the die. If we get it right we walk out of here. Guess wrong and it will probably eat us."

"That's it?" Applejack asked sounding worried.

" _Aswang turn! Roll the die! Three worms! Three worms!_ "

Aswang through the small block into the air. The die block landed in the sand, earning a single bounce. Three hash marks were shown. Very slowly Aswang stepped towards them, three steps, its needle like grin growing wide as its eyes squinted from the light.

" _Again! Again! Aswang got it right!_ "

Its long fingers picked up the small block, tossing it high again.

" _Five worms! Five worms!_ "

The block landed with a poof on the sand. It read five hash marks. Aswang stepped towards them, its steps were long, eyes almost closed from the light of the torch but its massive smile never left its face.

" _Again! Again!_ "

Aswang tossed the dice again.

" _Six worms! Six!_ "

Daring Do watched the die land near her. It read two hashes. Aswang squealed, sounding pained, it stepped back two steps, but remained smiling. It stood there motionless, its bloodshots eyes, narrowed at them, its chest rising and falling rapidly in anticipation. Daring Do picked up the block looking at it closely, examining the weight of it, and actually smiled to herself.

"I think I get it now." Daring Do mumbled.

"What? What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Call the number correctly we move that many steps _backwards_ , calling it wrong we take that many _towards_ the creature."

"What's stopping us from just hightailing it out of here?" Applejack asked.

"It's advantage is darkness, even if we burned my shirt and your hat it would just follow us, wait for our torch to die, and attack us then. We have beat it at its own game and it might just let us go."

"You're kidding, right? That thing is just toying with us!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in fear.

"If we can get back to the tunnel we can leave the torch at the entrance and make a run for it. It will burn long enough for us to get away."

"Do you think you can beat it? It's gotta be just pure dumb luck to call the number like that." Applejack asked looking skeptical.

"I've had my fair share of gambling with some of the most dangerous ponies in Equestria." Daring Do said tossing the block into the air. "5 worms!"

The block landed in the sand revealing five hash marks. Rainbow Dash and Applejack wore nervous smiles while Daring Do picked up the block again. All three ponies took five steps back as far as their legs would take eyes opened a little wider from the light retreating from his face.

"My turn again. I got it right." Daring Do said tossing the die into the air again. "Five worms!"

The block hit the sand reading five hash marks again.

"How are you doing that?" Rainbow Dash asked taking five steps back.

"Every pony I've ever gambled with has one thing in common." Daring Do said picking up the block again. "They always cheat."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash glanced at one another looking rather puzzled.

"It's a weighted die or block for that matter. It just takes a bit of figuring, a careful toss and I can call it every time. That's how the creature probably cheats its way into eating ponies." Daring Do explained to them. "Six worms!"

Aswang suddenly shrieked aloud. Causing Daring Do to fumble the block and watched it fall from her hoof. It landed three hash marks. Holding out its long fingers towards them, Aswang curled its finger towards them to step closer. Scooping up the die, Daring Do tossed it back towards Aswang angrily knowing it had cheated yet again.

" _Two worms._ " Aswang breathed.

The block tumbled through the air, landing with two hash marks showing. Aswang took two steps before tossing the block immediately.

" _Four... worms_." Asawang panted.

Four hash marks fell facing up in the sand. Aswang was drawing close, needing only a roll of six to reach them now.  
" _Six worms._ " Aswang whispered.

Daring Do fanned her wings quickly, throwing embers from the torch she held towards Aswang's face. His shrieks filled the air, the block being tossed to the side as it showed one hash mark.

" _Cheat! Cheat!_ "

"One worm!" Daring Do declared. "Back up."

Aswang's smile turned to a scowl, throwing the block back to her as it began shrieking in its anger as it forced itself to step back.

"Nice one!" Rainbow Dash said patting her on the back.

The torch was flickering more now. Its yellow fire beginning to turn a shade of blue. There wasn't much time left to get to the tunnel, Daring Do knew she would have to try and roll large numbers every time now.

"Five worms!' Daring Do shouted tossing the block.

The block rolled across the sand showing five hash marks. Gathering up the block, every pony retreated five more steps watching Aswang shake in anger.

"Five worms!" Daring Do said aloud.

Aswang's mouth opened its tongue shot out like a frog striking Daring Do in the chest and knocking her back. The die flew from her hoof landing on a three hash mark.

"That's cheating!" Rainbow Dash cried out.

" _Three worms. Come. Come_." Aswang curled his finger to them.

Applejack helped Daring Do to her hooves walking three steps forward while Rainbow Dash tossed the block towards the creature trying to nail it in the face. Aswang picked up the block, his smile beginning to return.

" _Six worms._ "

The block arched through the air before landing on six hash marks. Aswang stepped forward, its horrid breath becoming more noticeable the closer it grew closer. It was just just three steps away from them now, its skin was putrid, fangs scraping against one another, its eyes narrowly closed from the dying light of the torch.

"Three little juicy worms." Aswang whispered.

Tossing the block again, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings hard, sending a hard blast of air at the falling block, forcing it to turn as it landed on the three hash mark. Aswang screamed at them, revealing many more rows of razor sharp teeth lined behind the needles. It stepped back, the smallest steps it had ever taken and pulled on its lips.

"We're seven steps from getting out of here." Applejack whispered to them. "And that's taking in our longest steps back."

"That thing is going to try and cheat again! We won't even get that second roll the way its been playing." Rainbow Dash hissed.

" _Roll_!" Aswang shrieked.

The torch was flickering pretty bad. It was going to go out completely in the next few minutes and by then the game won't matter anymore.

"Applejack, I'm going to need your help with this one." Daring Do whispered to her.

"My help?" Applejacked asked sounding confused.

"On my signal, buck this die as hard as you can."

"Buck it?" Applejack repeated as if not hearing her correctly.

"Here we go every pony!" Daring Do shouted aloud tossing the block into the air. "Seven worms!"

The block tumbled down from the air, Daring Do shouted to Applejack who turned on a dime and bucked the block right out of the air. A crack was heard, two pieces of the die fell into the sand, one side read six hash marks and the other read one.

"Seven worms, Aswang!" Daring Do declared. "You lose!"

Asawang's long fingers picked up the broken pieces of its weighted die, its breathing was short, hoarse and shallow. Saliva was spewing from the spaces between its needle fangs, eyes almost a blood red from the anger boiling inside of it. Daring Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were already taking their steps back, nearly reaching the tunnel watching Aswang crush the two halves of the block to dust in its hands.

" _Cheaters!_ "

The light of the torch flared out, a thin trail of white smoke hissing from the smoldering remains of Applejack's handkerchief. A blood chilling scream rang out from the darkness, Aswang long fingers could be heard striking the sand as it charged them.

A sudden burst of light filled the cavern above them, revealing Aswang just several steps away from them, covering its eyes from the intensity of the light. Streaks of fire drew itself across the black sand before them, causing Aswang grip its eyelids, pulling them down hard as it screeched in pain. Clawing its way across the sand, Aswang blindly ran towards the darkest part of the cavern it could Do, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stepped out from the mouth of the tunnel, their heads drawn upwards towards where the fire had come from.

From higher up in the wall of the cavern Wick and Pyre stood at the brink of a tunnel. Their fire burning aggressively, flourishing their flames in an opposing manner that caused Aswang to cower from them. Leaping out from the cliffside the twins unleashed a wave of fire that washed across the ravine scaring Aswang back into the shadows.

" _Liars! Mischief makers! False fire! Aswang hates!_ "

Wick and Pyre's fire cushioned their landing, spewing bits of fire high into the air ensure that Aswang knew they meant business.

"And stay out!" Wick shouted after it.

Pyre gave Wick a quick hoof bump for a job well done. Turning around they realized the surprised expressions on every pony's face behind them. Clearing his throat, Pyre stepped forward trying to put his best hoof forward, but Wick beat him to the punch.

"Just what the hay are you losers doing here?"

"Losers!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"That right, lo-"

Pyre had clipped a hoof over Wick's mouth preventing him from speaking further.

"Apologies. What my brother meant to ask is what are the three of you ponies doing here in the Void and getting yourself involved with Aswang?" Pyre restated.

"It wasn't like we invited it to hang with us, it found us and tried to make us play games to see which of us it was going to eat." Rainbow Dash reiterated.

This time it was Applejack's turn to put a hoof over Rainbow Dash's mouth.

"We're not really sure how we got here, but we're here to save Smolder." Applejack told them.

"This is wild, I've never seen a flame pony up close before." Daring Do commented floating towards them taking some notes. "It's like you're living fire with the shell of a pony."

"What's with zebra hair over here?" Wick asked pushing his brother's hoof away from his mouth.

"That's Daring Do you know nothing pony!" Rainbow Dash shouted at him leaning away fro. Applejack's reach.

"I think it's best we continue our conversation elsewhere. I'd rather not attract anything." Pyre suggested motioning over his shoulder to a tunnel.

"I'm inclined to agree with y'all." Applejack replied.

Wick and Pyre led the way, their flames offering them a great deal of light to an otherwise darkened world. Truthfully, the last time any pony had seen the twins was when they had sacrificed themselves to knock the Mad King into the Void, and the time before that wasn't a rather pleasant conversation to leave on.

"How have the two you been surviving all this time?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Try being a little more subtle next time, Rainbow." Applejack rolled her eyes.

"We could explain how eating oversized maggots and weird fungi within these tunnels tasted like moldy cabbage or we could just skip over those gross little details and just assume we worked things out." Wick said rather coldly.

"I'd like to know the details." Daring Do commented.

"Is she being serious right now?" Wick asked glancing at Pyre. "What are doing? Writing a book or something?"

"That's kind of her thing." Applejack remarked.

"Well put this down, two handsome twin colts saved your sorry flanks from a freaky monster and didn't get so much as a thank you." Wick told her.

"Must you be so abrasive, brother dear?" Pyre asked with a sigh.

"You're taking their side now?"

"At least you're picking a side this time, or are you going to run away again?" Rainbow Dash asked in a snarky tone of voice.

Wick whipped around, his mane blazing with fire, Rainbow Dash flared out her wings ready to have a go at him, but Pyre stomped his hoof hard against the stone breaking it beneath him. The tremor Pyre created has both ponies backing down.

"Let's just clear the air here and now since we have nothing else more important we can be doing. Yes, Wick and I ran away from a malicious Mad Pony that has spent years tormenting us. And yes we did ultimately end up picking your side by throwing ourselves into this place to save our idealistic little brother from such a horrible fate. Frankly, I don't care if you like us or not, we didn't throw ourselves in here for you or any pony else, we did it for Smolder because he deserved better. We've had a long time to think about what we did, and we've surely paid for some of it since being here, but right now Smolder needs us and that means getting over our pointless jabs at one another."

Wick looked away, looking rather mad about being lectured at, but it seemed to get through to him. Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, nodding her head that it was time to let these feelings go so they could work together to get out of this place. Rainbow Dash pursed her lips, giving off a huff before shrugging her shoulders in agreement. Daring Do was quickly jotting down Pyre's words, finding their whole history with one another fascinating.

"There might be a chance that our friends got pulled into the Void as well." Applejack mentioned.

"If they did they're probably near the other Obelisks." Wick mumbled setting off again.

"We'll check the areas we know of and see if we can't find your friends." Pyre concluded.

Setting off once more the tension had seemed to think a bit. It was clear that the twins had come to regret a lot of the choices they've made, while not all of it was their fault, seeing as the Mad King had a hoof in it at times, but Wick and Pyre were very much changed ponies. Applejack speed up a bit, coming up alongside Pyre who quickly glanced at her trying not to look too uncomfortable with her being so close.

"Smolder never stopped thinking about the two of you and it hurt him something awful losing you to the Void. Twilight told us that Smolder wanted you two to be remembered as heroes for what you did so that future flame ponies would know you helped save them. The whole reason he's even here was to find you and bring you home because he missed you two so much."

"Your sentiments are sweet, but unneeded. Unlike Smolder, we don't worry about what others think of us or what our brother thinks of us." Pyre stated.

"All I'm saying is that he's going to be one happy pony when he sees you." Applejack mentioned.

Easing up her pace, Applejack let Wick and Pyre pull ahead.

"Smolder… really _did_ miss us." Wick mumbled to Pyre. "He even called us heroes."

Applejack felt herself smiling having overheard this, watching Pyre wipe his nose trying not to become emotional.


	50. Chapter 50: The Valley of Shadows

A strange darkness lingered within the air across the valley. It hung like a veil of shadows covering the land in a dismal haze. The eerie silence only offered a reminder of an entire world struck from existence and left solitude in its place. This was the Valley of Shadow, a place once ethereal, now destitute of the beauty that was an eternal paradise, but now had a small purple dragon was pacing around in circles, holding his claws to his head looking very distressed.

"This isn't happening! This isn't happening! This isn't happening!" Spike repeated over and over again.

Princess Sapphire watched the dragon pace around looking a little annoyed with its pessimistic attitude towards their current situation. Fluttershy had sunk low to the black sand, covering her eyes with her hooves, shaking like a leaf from their frightening experience. Twilight Sparkle was taking a more proactive approach by examining the twin set of Obelisks that towered behind them. Princess Sapphire illuminated her horn, which was hampered by the thick shadow like fog that rolled around them.

"It's evident that we've been somehow pulled into the Void, Ms. Sparkle." Princess Sapphire stated strolling up to her. "What remains unclear is _how._ "

"Well one thing is certain, we're not getting back the way we came, at least not now anyway." Twilight concluded.

"You mean we're stuck here?" Spike asked in disbelief.

Spike proceeded to scream aloud, continuing to frantically run in circles as Princess Sapphire and Twilight narrowed their eyes at him. With a sudden magical yank of Spike's winter coat, Twilight lifted into the air, bringing him close to her face to shush him.

"Get it together, Spike. We don't know what's out there and all your screaming might draw unwanted attention." Twilight hissed to him.

Spike covered his mouth with his claws, looking rather frightened by the idea, and Twilight had to sympathize with him because she had no idea what was waiting for them either. Placing Spike back down beside her, Twilight walked over to Fluttershy, placing a hoof on her shoulder trying to comfort her.

"There, there, Fluttershy."

"Was this part of the plan?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"I can't say that it was _any_ pony's plan."

Fluttershy got to her hooves, still looking very unnerved being within such a dark and gloomy place. Princess Sapphire stepped out before them, with a very take charge look on her face, as her horn gleamed brightly.

"We're exposed out here. We'll need to find a place to lay low to avoid anything lurking within these shadows." Princess Sapphire stated.

"Is-Is-Is there anything lurking within the shadows?" Spike stammered nervously.

"Let's hope not."

Twilight lifted Spike onto her back with her magic, following Princess Sapphire into the hazy darkness with Fluttershy close by. Every pony was quick to realize that the fog impaired their ability to see more than a couple of feet in front of them, making their progress slow as they stuck close together to avoid getting separated. Twilight illuminated her own horn to help guide them through the dark haze, trying to make out anything within the darkness.

"Do you see anything?" Twilight whispered to Princess Sapphire.

"Honestly, I can barely see the ground in front of me. From what I can remember from my glimpse into the void before Smolder stepped through was very different from this place." Princess Sapphire confessed finding the haze to be extremely frustrating.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"We are not beset by a the storm or any horrid creature so I say that we are currently in a 'good' place."

The valley resembled the White Walk in some rather interesting ways. Low visibility, no direction, but at least every pony knew of the creature that stalked the unnavigable tundra. Here in the Void, they knew not what manner of creature waited for them.

Soon the sand beneath Princess Sapphire's hoof fell away from her, causing her to fall forward, only catching herself by her wings as she floated back from the edge. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike quickly approached her, gazing at the massive crater that laid out before them. The bottom was just barely visible from their light, the sand racing its way down the sloping embankment. It was uncertain how large the crater was, unable to see how far out the crater spanned.

"This crater might provide us some minimal protection, bringing us below the line of sight of sight." Princess Sapphire offered to them. "Or we could follow the edge of this crater and see wide its expanse really is."

"I like the 'not being seen' idea." Spike voiced his opinion.

Twilight and Fluttershy nodded their agreement on that note. Princess Sapphire carefully stepped out onto the sloping embankment, the sand trickled away beneath her hooves as she allowed herself to slide down into the crater. Reaching the bottom, Princess Sapphire increased the intensity of her horn, seeing that the haze had lessened a bit from her descent. Having found the crater to be free of anything potentially harmful, Princess Sapphire motioned for the others to follow. Fluttershy and Twilight slide down the embankment with Spike clutching the back of Twilight's mane tightly.

Setting out across the crater proved to be beneficial, the haze was not as a difficult to traverse and the black sand rested undisturbed meaning that no creature frequented this place. Princess Sapphire led on. Keeping her head on a swivel to ensure that nothing would take them by surprise. In all honesty the sudden flash of black lightning and the sudden emergence into the Void was quite startling if not frightening for her, but she wouldn't allow the others to see her like that. It was never her intent to bring any pony _into_ the Void, but this unfortunate turn of events had her taking responsibility for Twilight and the others safety.

"Hey, Twilight?" Spike asked after a time.

"Yes, Spike?"

"Do you think we'll be able to find Smolder?"

Twilight smiled encouragingly. "I'm not sure, Spike, but I'm sure it will be easy spotting him in all this darkness."

Princess Sapphire felt herself smile, her heart skipping a beat. It hadn't even crossed her mind that finding Smolder was a possibility now. With so much running through her mind of how Floe and the others were handling their sudden disappearance, if they would be able to manage finding a way to open the portal when the time came, that finally being able to save Smolder had become a reality.

"Smolder wouldn't be so foolish to allow himself to be caught out in the open. He's probably hiding somewhere safe." Princess Sapphire turned her to speak to Spike.

"Look out!" Fluttershy softly shouted.

Princess Sapphire whipped her head back around to see a massive ball of black sand come rolling towards her from the hazy shadows. Leaping to opposite sides, Princess Sapphire, Fluttershy, Twilight and Spike avoided being crushed by the sudden appearance of the sand ball. Large length of a tibial shaft struck down hard beside Princess Sapphire, rolling away, flaring her horn, she got to her hooves ready to fight. It was an unbelievable sight to behold, a massive beetle was rolling a large ball of sand past them, keeping pace with it and ignoring them completely. The beetle was so large that it seemed rivaled a two story house as it continued to push its ball of sand back the way they had started.

"Wh-Wh-What was that?" Spike muttered sounding very frightened.

"It looked like a very large dung beetle." Fluttershy remarked softly, but sounding rather interested.

Grouping back together, they stared after the tremendous beetle, watching it disappear into the darkness. The sand beneath them began to shift, a tremor softly being felt ripple from up ahead, every pony turned to see several more massive balls of black sand rolling towards them.

"Get clear!" Princess Sapphire shouted.

Every pony scattered to avoid being squashed by the massive sand balls. One after another the beetles skittered by, spearing the sand with their long tibial shafts as they pushed their massive balls onward. The sand trembled underhoof at the beetles march, at every leap there was another ball of sand barreling towards them forcing them to continuously jump from side to side. Eventually the pattern had failed, the beetles had synced up with their pushing for a brief time, taking away any room to maneuver. Princess Sapphire found herself without the chance to escape, forcing her to strike the center sand ball with a blast of her magic.

A split formed causing the structure of sand to fail, collapsing in on itself as a sea of larvae fell forth upon the ground from within the ball. Each one the size of a full grown pony wiggling in a sickening squelch as the beetle lumbered over its scattered offspring to protect them from Princess Sapphire. The sight of the larvae was not at all pleasing with Princess Sapphire's stomach, choosing to fly up and over the stampede of beetles to relieve herself of the sight. Flying gave Princess Sapphire little visibility, the haze was becoming thicker the higher she flew, but the dim purple light of Twilight's magic shown just enough to lead her in their direction. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike were all trying to catch their breath, having narrowly avoided being squashed by the swarm of beetles. Princess Sapphire swooped down from the air, looking relieved that none were injured.

"Every pony alright?" Princess Sapphie asked helping Fluttershy to her hooves.

"I'd like to go home now, please." Spike mumbled.

The last of the swarm of beetles were trailing behind. Every pony watched the closest beetle mount its own sand ball before spewing a black gooey filament all over the circumference of the sphere. With the beetle resuming to roll it forward, the black sand the ball rolled across was gradually picked up with every revolution, increasing its size. There was a noticeable hint of green on every pony's face from the nauseating fumes that lingered.

"I... wonder where they are going." Fluttershy mumbled.

"Where ever it is, I hope it's far away from us." Twilight remarked.

"We got lucky that these beetles weren't hostile towards us, but let's not press out luck any further." Princess Sapphire stated. "Let's get going before they decide to come back."

Princess Sapphire led on. Finding the other side of the crater, every pony struggled to climb the sloping sand dune trying to reach the lip. The haze was becoming thicker the higher they climbed, even with the beating of her wings Princess Sapphire could not disperse the haze that surrounded them. Fluttershy floated beside Twilight helping her climb the slope while Princess Sapphire reached to edge of the crater finding it to mirror the same shrouded darkness they encountered before.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say we're going in circles." Princess Sapphire sighed.

Reaching her hoof out to Twilight, Princess Sapphire helped pull Twilight out of the crater.

"Well that gross smell is coming from this direction, so I'd say we're following the path the beetles took to get here." Twilight mentioned holding her nose from the smell.

"Can we please go _around_ the smell?" Spike murmured, holding his own nose.

"I have some reservations about going in any direction at this point. We could very well end up walking in circles eventually without a sort of landmark to go by." Princess Sapphire told them.

"What do you think we should do, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

Much to every pony's surprise, Fluttershy wasn't among them anymore. Frantically looking about, bringing their horns to a bright glow, they saw the outline of Fluttershy standing several yards out staring into the darkness. Rushing over to her, Twilight was first to reach her, placing a hoof on her shoulder looking her over to make sure she was alright.

"Fluttershy? Are you alright?" Twilight asked sounding concerned.

Fluttershy shushed her softly, her eyes focused if not a little intense. Princess Sapphire glanced at Twilight who seemed at a loss herself for Fluttershy's peculiar behavior. After a few moments of silence, there was a soft whimper that cut through darkness. Straining their ears, the whimper was heard yet again which prompted Fluttershy to take off into the shadows.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted after her giving chase. "Wait up!"

Princess Sapphire was rather surprised with how quick Fluttershy suddenly was. Her soft and fragile demeanor seemed to hide a rather fierce pony underneath. Luckily though, Fluttershy made no attempt to loose them in the dark fog. Many times Fluttershy slowed her pace, listening for the whimper once more before adjusting her course to follow it. It wasn't ideal for them to be blindly running through the darkness, as there was no guarantee that they'd be able to find their way back, but Fluttershy carried on.

During their sprint a rather large sand dune emerged from the darkness, another not long after to their left, the smell had become rather strong again. Fluttershy slowed her gallop, finding themselves within a large nesting ground where dozens of broken sand balls resided. The black gooey filament caked much of the sand, while large deposits of sand seemed to be where the beetles had made nests for their offspring.

"This is where the beetles must have come from." Spike moaned clutching his nose tightly.

A frightened yelp cut through the darkness, prompting Fluttershy to bound towards it with Twilight and Princess Sapphire close behind. With Twilight's and Princess Sapphire's light illuminating the darkened area, Fluttershy had found the cause of the whimpering. A small wolf pup, with fur as black as the sand, had gotten itself trapped in the beetles goo, and lay helpless whining in its fear. Fluttershy was quick to approach it, stepping into the goo, but with her strength it did not prove difficult to pull herself free.

"Careful, Fluttershy, it might try to bite you." Spike warned her.

"Why, hello there, I'm Fluttershy." Fluttershy introduced herself to the wolf pup.

Placing her hoof upon the back its back caused the wolf pup to yelp in fear, struggling to get away from her. Fluttershy carefully laid herself down next to the frightened wolf pup, stroking its back gently, while shushing it quietly. Princess Sapphire walked around the edge of the beetle goo, taking a better look at how bad the wolf pup had gotten itself stuck.

"It doesn't seem too bad. The filament seems to have matted with its fur, hardened, and pinned it to the clump of sand it's on now." Princess Sapphire gathered.

"Can you use your magic to free him?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm afraid that if I try to use my magic the wolf pup might get frightened and I'd rather not unintentionally hurt it with its struggling."

"What if have Spike cut it loose?" Twilight suggested looking over her shoulder at him.

"Me?" Spike asked looking surprised.

"You've got claws."

Spike clung to his dragon sized snow boots and jacket. "I don't want to get my new snow gear all stinky with that beetle goo."

The sharp whines of the wolf pup interrupted them. It was enough to change Spike's mind.

"Oh, alright."

"Thank you, Spike." Fluttershy said with a smile.

Climbing down off of Twilight's back, Spike stepped through the goo, feeling the stickiness pull at his boots. Stomping over to Fluttershy and the stuck wolf pup, Spike could see that the goo had matting large areas of its fur. Lifting his claws up to his face, Spike took a deep breath before blowing a small flame into his hands that made them sizzle with heat.

"Careful now, Spike, don't hurt him." Fluttershy warned.

"I'll be careful." Spike replied.

Spike gently swiped his claws across the wolf pup's fur, cutting away the clumps of goo that hardened to it. The process was slow, Spike was taking care not to cut too close to the wolf pup while Fluttershy continuously tried to calm it whenever it began to struggle.

"You're doing great, Spike." Twilight praised him.

Sounds of falling sand drifted through the air, the darkness concealed much, but the muddled vibrations within the sand told them that something was near. Twilight and Princess Sapphire stepped in front of the wolf pup, guarding their friends while shining their horns brightly. From their light they revealed something massive moving within the shadows, stalking them from a distance. A soft tapping sound echoed from the darkness sending the wolf pup into a panic, yelping and whining in fright.

"Do you see anything, Twilight?" Princess Sapphire whispered.

" _Do you see anything, Twilight?_ " A soft voice from the darkness repeated.

Every pony stood frozen in silent surprise. Sounds of the sand shifting around them in the darkness grew louder, the wolf pup whining all the while, and the tapping still repeating.

"Who's... speaking?" Twilight asked quietly.

" _Speaking, who? Twilight? Twilight, Twilight, Twilight! Speaking!_ "

The mocking voice drifted with wild abandon, echoing all around them. It was unclear to any pony if the creature truly knew what it was saying or just mimicked the sounds it heard. Focusing the light from her horn, Princess Sapphire directed it through the shadowy haze trying to determine the source of the voice. Her light swept across a creature that had every pony screaming in fright. The creatures small head carried large wagon wheel sized eyes, bloodshot, stared at them with a ghoulish grin revealing hundreds of needle like fangs in its mouth. It's body resembled a lizards, covered with festering wounds, and had long thin creature mimicked their horrified shrieks, quickly bounding away into the darkness with Princess Sapphire and Twilight back up further to put as much distance as they could from it.

"What in the sweet Equestria was that?" Spike shouted covering his eyes.

"Whatever you are w-w-we mean you no harm!" Princess Sapphire's voice shaking from the creature's disturbed features.

" _Words! You know words too! Others to talk to! Others to eat! Supple flesh and juicy meat! No more bugs! No more bugs!_ "

"It wants to eat us!" Spike cried in horror.

" _I want to eat you!_ "

Princess Sapphire looked about, her beam of light swiping through the shadows. Her light cut across the creature once more, drawing it back upon the creature, every pony could see it standing upright with its eyes rolled back into its head. Its jaw slowly separating with its needle like fangs sliding against one another. It a violent jerk the creature's tongue shot forth, mimicking that of a frog as it struck Princess Sapphire in the chest. The creature jerk its head to and fro, dragging Princess Sapphire away from the others as she dug her hooves into the sand trying to keep herself from moving. A flash of purple magic struck the creature's tongue, sending it a blaze with fire, as its tongue withdrew from Princess Sapphire and went slithering back into the darkness. Twilight rushed over to Princess Sapphire, grabbing her arm and pulling her back towards the others.

"Thanks, Twilight." Princess Sapphire muttered noticeably shaken.

"Don't mention it."

" _Magic! Magic! Magic! Magic! I like magic! I have magic!_ "

From the shadows a sudden light erupted, flames of fiery red and the outline of a pony appeared in the distance. No pony said a word, but every pony was thinking it was their lost friend.. The light grew closer to them, it resembled fire, but the magic of its illusion was poor. Princess Sapphire found herself taking a step forward, staring down this illusionary flame, and feeling her heart sinking knowing it wasn't Smolder. The creature had poorly transformed itself into a flame pony, for it had bulging red eyes, an oversized smile of needle fangs, and long fingers coming from its hooves.

" _Look! Look! I'm you! Friends now! Friends!_ "

"You're not Smolder!" Princess Sapphire shouted blasting it with ice.

Into the darkness the creature tumbled, its flame disappearing. The sound of it scurrying across the sand had every pony on edge.

"You don't think it got to Smolder, do you?" Fluttershy asked in a nervous whisper.

" _Smolder! Fire! I've seen! Aswang has seen!_ "

"As-what?" Twilight asked aloud.

" _Aswang! Aswang! Aswang has seen the fire!_ "

"It knows who Smolder is?"

Stomping her hoof onto the sand, sending a sudden wave of light from her horn, Princess Sapphire's patience was reaching its end.

"Where is he?" Princess Sapphire demanded aloud.

Two large slabs of rock fell at their hooves, it had hash marks resembling a dice block, but it appeared to be split.

" _The lies! The cheats! No games! Aswang hungry!_ "

"Yeah, we got that part!" Twilight shouted in annoyance.

" _Aswang starving! Feels the bones of itself! Feed friend and friend show you the fire!_ "

"We don't have any food!"

" _Whimper and cry! Whimper and cry! Hungry for meat! Crying meat!_ "

Princess Sapphire turned to Twilight before they both looked back at the wolf pup still whimpering in the goo. Fluttershy was quick to put her hooves over the frightened wolf pup, as Spike heroically stepped in front them with his arms folded. Twilight stepped closer to Fluttershy, the magic from her horn brimming, ready to fend off the creature. Princess Sapphire nodded to them, taking a united front against Aswang's offer.

"You're not eating any pony or pup, Aswang!" Princess Sapphire declared. "Find your meal elsewhere!"

Princess Sapphire was met with silence from the darkness. A very eerie silence fell over them, a murderous intent filled the air, the tapping had returned, but it echoed from every direction. It grew louder and softer in random progression, making it hard to determine how close it really was. Princess Sapphire dragged her hoof across the top of the sand slowly, turning slowly to stare out into the darkness awaiting the creatures attack.

" _Other ponies refused to feed. Broke my toy. Called me cheat._ "

Aswang's voice was more sinister now, losing it wild abandon, and sounding almost crazed in its dark delivery.

"N _ew friends will now die. Crying for games. Screaming Aswang. Aswang. Let me play_."

"Twilight, no matter what happens the moment you have the chance to run you take the others and go." Princess Sapphire instructed.

"We're not leaving you, Sapphire." Twilight stomped her hoof in refusal.

"I'm not giving you a choice, take the others and-"

" _Feed me!_ "

From the darkness the creature emerged with tremendous speed, half its body had transformed into a snake, while its upper half had large bird like wings. Its large eye balls had rolled back once again, jaws open wide with its long finger emerging from its lips reaching out to grab them. Twilight flashed her horn to cast a spell, Princess Sapphire leapt towards the creature to stop it short of reaching them as Fluttershy shielded the wolf pup while Spike shielded her. Before any pony could get a shot off, before Aswang could strike, a colossal wolf emerged from the darkness sinking its fangs deep into creature's would be neck and driving it hard into the sand.

" _Save me! Help me! Friends! Help Aswang!_ "

Vicious sounds of tearing flesh could be heard from the darkness. Violent hissing from Aswang filled the air with deep snarls of the massive wolf wrestling with it. The struggling of both creatures sent waves of sand crashing all over. Terrified shrieks from Aswang were soon garbled before a sickening crunch was heard and the thrashing stopped abruptly. Every pony stared into the shadows, listening to the heavy panting and the sudden howl that shook the very air.

Heavy steps were slowly approaching them. Coming within range of their glowing horns, the massive wolf stepped into view with bright green blood dribbling from its jaws. Its fangs were off colored by the greenish fluid, snarling menacingly at the sight of them, and barking so loudly that it caused every pony's ears to ring. The wolf pup whined, yelping in response to the massive wolf's bark trying to pull itself free.

"Wh-Wh-What should be do?" Spike stammered rubbing his ears.

"Finish cutting it loose, Spike. Show it that we're not here to hurt her baby." Fluttershy told quietly.

"That's its mommy?"

A loud threatening bark leaped from the wolf's jaws again, making every pony jump in fright. Spike slowly reached down towards the wolf pup, earning a very menacing growl from the wolf's mother. As quickly as he could, Spike cut away the goo that had kept the wolf pup pinned. With a final snip the wolf pup wiggled free, tripping over its own legs as it tried to bolt from them. It whined repeatedly as it scampered towards it's mother who knelt down to greet it. The wolf's massive tongue pushed over the wolf pup, watching it bark excitedly trying to climb atop her snout, gingerly nudging it with its nose.

Princess Sapphire was quick to round up every pony, having them all step back to ensure that the massive wolf mother did not feel threatened by their presence. The mother wolf got to its paws, a deep growl echoing from her before taking great strides away from them and heading back into the darkness once more.

The wolf pup yapped loudly towards refusing to leave, leaping back and forth, spinning around on the spot trying to garner its mother's attention. It quickly rushed back towards Fluttershy, yapping loudly at her, circling around her hooves, brushing up against her in very loving manner as it whined softly.

"Fluttershy, it's time to say goodbye to your new friend now." Princess Sapphire hissed sounding rather panicked.

"It's time for you to go home now, you mighty little wolf, and don't get lost from your mother again." Fluttershy said to it.

The sand thumped from the large steps the mother wolf took towards them. Twilight and Princess Sapphire only measured up to the wolf mother's knees as they lowered the intensity of their horns hoping not to seem aggressive towards it. Reaching over them, the giant wolf mother's large fangs bit the back of Fluttershy's thermal hoodie before lifting her up high over their heads. Turning to leave the young wolf pup barked excitedly, leaping as high as it could to try and reach Fluttershy as the wolf mother walked off with her.

"Oh my." Fluttershy said softly.

"Hey! That's our Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted at the wolf.

"Don't antagonize it, Twilight!" Spike hissed at her.

"Come on, we have to follow them!" Princess Sapphire shouted giving chase.

Through the darkness the wolf mother led on. Fluttershy dangling from her massive jaws while the wolf pup sprinted beside them to keep up. Princess Sapphire, Twilight and Spike were hot on her tail to see where Fluttershy was being taken. No pony was sure what the wolf mother had planned for Fluttershy, but the fact that it was rather docile for the moment made having a three story wolf around feel a lot safer. The wolf mother's strides were far reaching, having Princess Sapphire and Twilight galloping to keep up, and it didn't let up for over an hour until reaching what appeared to me a series of jagged rocks that broke the sea of black sand.

There was a immense cave that the wolf mother headed towards. Excited yelps from the wolf pup earned several more excited barks from the cave entrance. Two more wolf pups appeared from the mouth of the cave, rushing towards their mother and nipping at their lost sibling. Entering the cave, the wolf mother placed Fluttershy down as her litter of pups rushed her.

"They're going to eat Fluttershy!" Spike yelled frightfully.

To the contrary, Fluttershy was being assaulted by the feverish licks of the wolf pups, nudging her hooves attention and cuddling with her. Princess Sapphire and Twilight slowly approached the mouth of the cave, unsure if their presence would be tolerated by the wolf mother. The giant wolf laid herself down further into the cave, carefully watched Princess Sapphire and the others.

"Fluttershy? You okay?" Twilight asked aloud, concerned for her safety.

"Oh, I'm just fine, Twilight. Her wolf pups are very affectionate." Fluttershy replied.

Fluttershy got to her her hooves to meet up with them. The wolf pups following her, yapping happily as they quickly approached Princess Sapphire and Twilight sniffing them quickly. Princess Sapphire stepped around them, trying to avoid their moist noses from touching her as they found it entertaining and began to chase her.

"This cave looks like it stretches for miles." Twilight mentioned, increasing the light that her horn emitted to get a better look.  
"It's the only thing I've seen since the wolf pup's mother brought me here. Smolder might even be hiding underground to hide his flames." Fluttershy added.

Princess Sapphire was leaping around, desperately trying to avoid the wolf pups that were chasing her relentlessly, tripping over one another when she made sharp turns and barking at her trying to keep her still. The wolf mother at this point had rested her head on her paws, watching her pups run around as Fluttershy walked further into the cave with Twilight in tow. Fluttershy held her hoof tightly, trying to reassure her that everything was alright and the wolf mother wasn't going to bite, but Twilight and Spike were still trembling rather nervously around it. Coming up alongside the wolf mother, it was clear that the cave did stretch further in, but started to slope downwards into the ground.

"What do you think, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"I… I guess it's our only choice for the moment. I'd rather not go wandering around in the darkness and bump into another one of those creatures again." Twilight remarked.

Princess Sapphire bounded towards them, hiding behind Fluttershy as the wolf pups charged after her in open mouth excitement.

"Alright little ones, playtime is over." Fluttershy said raising her hoof to them.

The wolf pups stopped short of reaching Fluttershy, pacing in circles, before sitting down and panting before her.

"Stay close to your mother and no more wandering off, okay?" Fluttershy asked them.

She earned several barks from them, tails wagging away, as Fluttershy reached out to pet each one goodbye.

"Thank you very much for saving us from that very scary creature, Misses Wolf." Fluttershy turned to speak with the mother.

"Misses Wolf?" Spike asked looking at her strangely.

"Goodbye, every pony. Stay safe." Fluttershy wished them well.

The wolf mother snorted while the wolf pups whined at Fluttershy's departure, not following them beyond their mother's side as the group ventured further into the cave. Twilight and Princess Sapphire illuminated their horns once more to bring more light to the dark cave, unsure of what they would find the deeper they went.

"You are truly something else when it comes to animals, Ms. Fluttershy." Princess Sapphire complimented her.

"I do hope those wolf pups stay close to their mother. Amarok is still too young to be going out on his own like that." Fluttershy stated.

"Amarok?" Spike questioned her.

"It's his name, or at least that what his brother and sister call him."


	51. Chapter 51: Convictions and Beliefs

The pale blue magical light that emanated from Rarity's horn washed over the debris filled streets of the Forgotten City. Pinkie Pie walked close beside her, examining the ruined buildings that loomed over them. Pebbles fell from loose mortar, clicking like loud drums, on their way down through toppled floors echoing in the silence of the city.

"I would consider this dreadfully depressing city to be the most horrifying thing I've seen today If didn't already know of the storm lurking somewhere in this darkness." Rarity whispered to Pinkie Pie.

"It's not so bad." Pinkie Pie mentioned trying to sound cheerful. "I bet the acoustics are phenomenal here."

A deep groan reverberated across the city. With it, high winds were racing through the city streets and blasting them with sand. The storm rose up out of the city many miles away, although its sheer size made it appear much closer. Lightning and thunder ripped through the storm, shaking the very city beneath them reducing several more buildings to rubble. Pinkie Pie and Rarity watched in silent terror at the enormity of the storm, witnessing the figure of a humanoid dwelling within the heart of the storm by the flashing bolts of lightning that cut across the sky.

Fixated upon the storm, Pinkie Pie and Rarity failed to notice the tarp that had suddenly been thrown over them. Finding themselves quickly being blanketed before feeling their hooves being pulled out from beneath them from the sudden jerk of the tarp. The two ponies fell over one another trying to get their footing, feeling themselves being dragged like a sack of potatoes across sand and stone.

"Whomever placed us within this sack, could they please find it in their heart to let us out?" Rarity asked as politely as a captured pony could.

"Or at least avoid some of the large rocks you're dragging us over." Pinkie Pie offered.

The sack was lifted off the ground, almost being thrown as Pinkie Pie and Rarity found themselves falling free from the sack and landing upon a stone tiled floor. Rarity's horn flashed brightly once more, bringing the dark room to light, with Pinkie Pie dropping into the venusian aikido stance. The tarp used to drag them furrowed across the stone floor, draping itself over a tall figure before turning to meet them, but all they were met with were large yellow eyes.

"We mean you no harm." Rarity stated quickly, hoping to avoid a confrontation.

"That is what I would have said." The creature replied.

"So… you're not going to eat us?" Pinkie Pie asked standing on one hoof preparing a crane kick.  
"I feared that the storm would have consumed you. Your light is dangerous here." The creature replied.

Rarity almost immediately lowered the intensity of her magic's light, not having realized what a target it would have made them if not for this creature's rather forceful intervenience. Pinkie Pie lowered her guard, staying close to Rarity to ensure that they had a united front against this creature if it chose to pull a fast one on them.

"Might I ask what your name is? So that I can properly thank you for helping us?" Rarity offered it.

"Name?" The creature replied.

"Yeah, what's your name?" Pinkie Pie asked again.

The creature turned its head away as if to ponder on this. Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked at one another, surprised at the aspect of the creature having forgotten its name. It was a good while of complete silence and contemplation of the Void Walker trying to recall its name before perking up at the its sudden remembrance.

"Malachi. I was called Malachi."

"That's a very nice name." Rarity complimented.

"How did you forget your name?" Pinkie Pie asked looking confused.

"Having a name makes it harder to say goodbye." The creature named Malachi explained.

"Well, Malachi, we are very grateful for your help in keeping us safe from the storm." Rarity thanked him. "I'm Rarity and this is Pinkie Pie."

"You are most welcome." Malachi stepped forward bowing his head to them. "If I may, may I ask a question of my own?"

"Of course."

Malachi reached out his olive black hand lightly swaying it over their manes. "Where are your flames?"

"Our flames?" Rarity repeated sounding confused.

"You might have mistaken us for flame ponies. I'm a normal earth pony and Rarity is a unicorn pony." Pinkie Pie explained.

"I had no idea that there were other kinds of… ponies." Malachi remarked sounding fascinated.

"Malachi, if I may, have you _seen_ a flame pony recently?" Rarity asked sounding hopeful.

"We witnessed the one called Smolder, Fire King, stand against the storm, it fled with the Arcana, not long before you arrived."

Pinkie Pie and Rarity turned to one another, a look of excitement on their faces at the idea of Smolder still being alive.

"Malachi, please, if you would, could you help us find our friend?"

Malachi bowed his head to them. He stepped past them, his cloak gliding across the stone tiles like a ghost as he almost disappeared completely into the shadows. Rarity's horn gave off enough light to keep him visible as they followed on. Through a doorway Malachi led them, down several flights of stairs, through hallways that brought them further underground.

"Is… this where you live?" Rarity asked after a time.

"Our houses are no longer homes, our lives are no longer valued, but we have found peace in our seclusion." Malachi remarked as if repeating a rehearsed phrase.

"Because of the storm?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"We have placed blame for the ruin of our world on everything but ourselves. The storm is of our own making and it judges us equally. Punishment and reconciliation." Malachi praddled off again.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked at one another as if trying to figure out his meaning, wondering if asking more questions would answer the ones they had or just make more. Eventually, Malachi stepped through a large open arch way that let out into a vast room. Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed close behind, the magic from Rarity's horn bathed the room in a glow.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked around the room witnessing hundreds of Void Walkers sitting on the ground in distinguished rows. Each faced the far wall with a mural painted to depict a giant humanoid colored with the brightest of colors, towering over smaller humanoids with only black and grey colors to depict them. The creature walked along the edge of the room, escorting Pinkie Pie and Rarity towards the front. They could see that the Void Walkers sitting upon the ground had their eyes closed with their left hand lay open in their lap and their other free hand balled into a fist resting atop it.

"Are they meditating?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Reflecting." The creature replied.

"May I ask about what?"

"The silence."

Malachi continued to walk, striding through the lines of other Void Walkers to reach the other side. Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed quickly, taking care to not bump any Void Walker along the way.

"Malachi, forgive me, but what exactly happened here?" Rarity asked.

Malachi brought them before the congregation of Void Walkers before stopping at the mural. He turned around to speak to them holding out is arms to his side to invoke their attention to the mural.

"There were three Eternal Masters that appeared from the darkness of our world, Azimuth the Creator, Zenith the Maker, and Nadir the Thinker.. The one known as Azimuth, our creator, gave us life, the light from the stars, and told us that we were special. We were the first of her creations, blinded by privilege, arrogant of the shadows we casted and thought ourselves better."

Turning back around, Malachi pressed his hands against the mural. The mural split down the middle, revealing itself to be two large doors that swing in to reveal yet another room. Just like before this room was filled with Void Walkers, all sitting in distinguished rows, facing yet another wall with yet another mural.

"The time of the Arcana was soon to follow, creatures of magic made to protect us and help us accomplish wonders. We marveled at their power, yet their minds were simple, emotional, we reveled in our greater thinking, and built this city as a monument to our masters. This was start of Null's betrayal, before the death of Azimuth."

Malachi continued on. Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed closely. The next mural depicted a gigantic humanoid painted with dark colors towering over the fallen colorful humanoid holding a bright painted silver light.

"This marked the end of masters, Zenith killed Nadir for his crimes, and he soon fell back into the Void in which he had came. We were left alone, our fate, left to our own devices. We governed ourselves, turned away everything that was not Azimuth's making, and it proved to be our downfall."

Again Malachi pressed his hands against the mural, watching the two large stone doors slide open, revealing something very different beyond this room. From wall to wall, stacks and heaps of cloaks were scattered everywhere, like an ocean of fabric that lay still and forgotten. There was no mural at the end of the room, but a cave entrance that bore no light.

"The storm destroyed everything. Our homes, our world, even the stars, but we realized that none it mattered when it took our friends from us." Malachi whispered to them.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity stood in silent somber having realized that this was the room where all the cloaks of fallen Void Walkers were kept, a tomb of sorts, or perhaps a memorial to those that had fallen.

"I'm so… so sorry, Malachi." Rarity mumbled.

"Beyond this room is the entrance to a vast network of tunnels that stretch out across our world. The Fire King is sure to be hiding somewhere in there, but I cannot follow you further."

"Why not?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"If the storm calls again, it is my turn to stand before it. I would be thinking that this is the last time we shall meet, Pinkie Pie the earth pony, and Rarity the unicorn."

"What? No, you can't!" Rarity refuted him.

"Come with us! We're here to help you! That's why Sparky's here, we're going to save your world!" Pinkie Pie insisted.

Malachi's yellow eyes softened, it reminded them of Wingston and his way of showing gratitude from behind a hood.

"There are many cloaks here of friends that met the storm before I, and now it is my turn to do this for others. For friends that still fear the storm. I am not afraid anymore, that it is why I am not reflecting like the others, I've made my peace and I am ready."  
Pinkie Pie moved to argue again, but Malachi gently placed his hand upon her head. Gently fluffing her poofy hair, finding amusement out of it.

"Goodbye, Pinkie Pie the earth pony. Goodbye, Rarity the unicorn."

Malachi's earlier words of having to say goodbye when knowing some pony's name seemed to ring true as Pinkie Pie and Rarity found it difficult to say. They wanted him to believe that he would be saved, that this wasn't a goodbye, but a promise. In the end, neither of them said nothing, prompting Malachi to bow them one final time before returning to the room before. Putting his hands on the edge of the edge of the door, Malachi to pull the stone door closed.

"We'll be back, Malachi. This isn't a goodbye, but an until next time." Pinkie Pie said confidently.

"That's right! Just hang on until we find Smolder and we'll figure out a way to save your world." Rarity chimed in.

Malachi shared no more words with them. The soft glow of his yellow eyes disappeared with the closing of the stone doors. Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked at one another sharing a strong desire to save Malachi and the rest of the Void Walkers from such a terrible fate. Flashing her horn, Rarity magically teleported Pinkie Pie and herself across the room to the edge of the tunnel entrance. Pinkie Pie stepped into the tunnel, taking a look around at the walls seeing darkness further within, making the assumption that it went on for quite a ways. Turning back, Pinkie Pie noticed Rarity at the edge of the cloaks fiddling with something near the stone floor.

"Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"It isn't much, but it's something." Rarity said proudly.

There was a rather small bundle of multicolored ribbons packed into a small pile, being held in place with a circle of small rocks. With a small spark of her horn, Rarity set the small pile of ribbons alight as the small flame flickered in the darkness.

"It's perfect."

PInkie Pie and Rarity paused for a moment. Letting the silence that Malachi talked about sink in, realizing that their own thought and fears over the storm were loud and clear in their heads. There was nothing to distract them of their own thoughts, except for their conviction of saving Smolder, Malachi, and the rest of the Void Walkers from this storm. Much like Malachi, Pinkie Pie and Rarity pulled themselves away, able to continue on, putting others before themselves, and hoping that their sacrifices would ultimately pay off in the end.

* * *

The long tunnel had finally let out into a cavern to which Mira was familiar with. It took a few wrong turns, a dead end and nap, but we eventually found our way back to Azimuth's Tomb to which I knew the rest of the way from there. Mira's cave had seen better days. Her battle with Null had torn apart the fields, shattering the land in some rather large ways. The cave had been split in two, one side significantly raised higher than the other. Large amounts of black sand had poured in, several of her jars had been knocked over with some even being smashed. I carried Mira over to large chunk of rock that had fallen from the ceiling. I tapped the rock a few times, judging it's density, before hitting rather hard with my hoof. A loud crack echoed through the cave, a razor thin cut appeared within the rock as my magic pushed the upper half aside. With a loud thus the upper half of the rock fell to the side revealing a clean cut through the rock now acting as a slab.

"You're weird." Mira mumbled after witnessing it.

"It's a flame pony thing." I muttered.

Using my wing I lifted Mira from my back, carefully laying her down on the slab. She looked very exhausted, although it was a far cry better than what Null had done to her.

"So what do I need to do to fix you?" I asked looking her over.

"Get Hoopoe's feather."

I turned towards the broken wall that had claimed much of Mira's stone jars. The feather she spoke of had been spared for the most part, having fallen from the stone shelf and buried beneath the black sand. Magically lifting the feather I brought it back to the slab, giving it a few food shakes to get all the sand out of it.

"If the jar isn't busted, which with my luck it was probably first to go, bring me Kana's goo." Mira instructed me taking hold of the feather.

I stepped over to the jars, silently hoping that the jar she needed had been spared being smashed. I honestly had no idea what I was looking for and the jars that had not been destroyed had all manner of things in them. There were several that had something that looked like goo which made it even more difficult.

"This it?" I asked picking up a jar with my hoof.

"Does that say Kana on it?" Mira asked in a condescending tone.

Looking at the stone jars I could see some rather loopy looking markings on it to which I could not make out. I took a guess and lifted another jar seeing more of the loopy writing.

"I can't read it." I confessed.

"That's because you don't speak Arcana, stupid."

"Then how am I going to find it?"

Mira groaned. "I'll just do it myself."

"No, no, I've got it. Just let me know when I find the right one."

I lifted another jar up to show her, wondering if this was the one she needed, but she shook her head no.

"I'm going to die from the poison, I know it." Mira mumbled sadly.

"Nonsense. Wingston got stabbed with a Queen Spider fang and he's alright. Quit being a baby."

"Just hurry up, stupid."

I rummaged over the jars, trying to figure out what the goo of Kana looked like.

"I can see it from here, it's that one." Mira mentioned.

I looked up to see Mira pointing her finger towards the group of jars and I still could not figure out which jar she was referring to.

"This one?" I asked lifting another jar.

"No."

"Is it this one?"

"Are you seriously guessing right now?"

"How about this one?"

"Look where I'm pointing. No, no, I'm looking right at it. Slowly dieing over here, stupid."

I lifted another jar turning to look at Mira.

"Yes, that's the one." Mira confirmed for me.

I brought the jar to Mira who placed the feather over her. It nearly covered her entire body for being only a half of a feather. She laid there expectantly.

"Well?" Mira asked from beneath the feather.

"Well what?" I asked.

"Are you going to pour the goo or not?"

I hovered the jar over the feather nervously. "Just like… all over?"

"The minute I stop dying from poison I'm going to slap the flames off of you, Smolder." Mira muttered with a sigh.

With that I proceeded to pour the goo from the stone jar over the feather. Like sludge it poured out, coating the feather. The moment I finished pouring the last bit of goo the feather erupted into black flames. It quickly began to melt, covering Mira from head to foot in black sludge, but it all seemed to be what was supposed to be happening.

"You… okay?" I asked slowly.

Mira's yellow eyes opened, breaking the thin layer of sludge, turning her head slightly towards me.

"I will be. I just to need rest for a while." Mira said through the goo.

Mira lifted her hand, scooping some of the sludge from her chest and held it out to me. I looked at it with confusion, watching it slowly bubble in her hand and not knowing what she wanted me to do with it.

"Take it, it's for your cuts."

I frowned at the color, the smell, the bubbling nature of the goo and respectfully shook my head no. Mira hissed at me as she flicked her arm out my way, throwing the goo in my face while it hissed from my flames.

"Just do it."

Oh the smell. It if wasn't for my flames I could have sworn I felt the goo burning my hide, but I tried not to make a scene. I scooped some of the goo from my face with my hooves, watching it bubble from the heat of my flames before rubbing it up and down my arms. There wasn't much that Mira had thrown at me, although the minute it came in contact with my cuts it had them healing instantly. I worked as much of the goo as I could over myself, getting a good portion of the cuts, but ran out before could finish. Mira had her eyes closed once again, resting on the slab, letting the goo do it's work.

"How long is this going to take?" I asked curiously.

"Does it matter?" Mira asked sounding annoyed.

"Well, you know, just trying to ask the right questions. I've never had to take care of a pony before."

"You bedside manner needs a lot of work."

"You're going to be okay though, right?"

"Smolder…" Mira whispered.

"Yeah?"

Mira turned her head to me, her eyes opening again, and her hand reaching out for me. I took her hand with my hoof, smiling warmly at her.

"I'm sorry... for everything."

I took her hand with both hooves now. "It's cool."

Mira scoffed a laugh. I could see her yellow eyes becoming glassy, tears beginning to swell in her eyes.

"Why, Smolder? I tried to kill you, I stole your fire, I got your mom killed. How are you okay with this?"

I stepped closer to the slab, resting my head down next to hers.

"It was kind of messed up to steal my fire." I said watching Mira choke a laugh. "And Null took her from me, not you."

I could feel Mira's hand gripping my hooves tighter now.

"You know, a very wise pony once told me that hate can dig very deep into us if we let it. That if you allow yourself to feed on that anger and hatred you'll feel empty forever. You let yourself believe that my mom's death was your fault, and you ended up hating yourself for it. Digging yourself deeper into that despair, but stopped before you got too deep. I've already forgiven you for what you did and didn't do, Mira, so please forgive yourself and help me stop this monster that took my mom from us."

Mira smiled at me. Choking back a few sobs, gripping my hoof as hard as she could trying to reassure me of her resolve in this.

"Thank you, Smolder." Mira whispered softly to me.

I could hear the rumbling if my own stomach cut the silence. This earned a laugh from Mira who pulled her hand away from me to rest again.

"I'm going to go look for those gross furry things you said were okay to eat." I said begrudgingly.

"It's a fungus." Mira mentioned.

"A fungus?"

"Keep an eye for some larvae from the maggot worms down here, we can make a stew stew out of it for a better taste and is a good source of protein."

"What did you used to eat before having to scrounge for this… stuff?" I asked feeling nauseous.

"Light was enough to sustain us, eating was just a something we did for fun."

"Have you ever tried an apple?"

"A what?"

"An apple, it grows on a tree, its red, tastes way better than some gross maggot or fungus."

"What's a tree?"

"Okay, I'm going to go find some fungus or something. I'm laying down the law right now and saying that we're _not_ having maggot larvae tonight. Or ever for that matter."

Mira smiled. "If you want to go looking for your brothers, Smolder, just say so."

In truth, I was hungry, but I was also going to use it as an excuse to go looking for my brothers as well.

"How did you-"

"There's no way you could have gotten your fire back without help. I'm guessing they helped you with it."

"My… father helped me, actually." I muttered.

Mira turned her head to look at me, seeing my uneasiness over it.

"Why would he help you?" Mira asked.

"He knows that the others are going to try and save me. He's planning on escaping along with us. I'm afraid I'll have to face him again to make sure that doesn't happen." I told her.

"He's a monster, Smolder. There's nothing but cruelty in him. Don't try to-"

"I know." I said quickly, not wanting to bring up these feelings again.

Mira could sense my apprehension towards my father. It was different than when she scolded Glow for trying to save that Mad Pony. Glow was trying to save someone she loved, while Smolder was being tormented by the very pony that should be loving him unconditionally. Mira knew how much pain and sadness Smolder tried to hide from everyone, she had been in his mind enough to know how cruel his father had been to him, but he still was so very kind to every pony else.

"Try looking in the left end of the Azimuth's Tomb." Mira mentioned rolling her head back over. "That's where I find most of the fungus and sometimes hoofprints."

I lifted my head feeling a sudden swell of excitement in my heart. "R-Right."

Heading back towards the tunnel I took another glance back at Mira wondering if I should really be leaving her alone. Her cave was pretty much destroyed, anything that would come for her would have to come through me first so I felt a bit better on leaving her alone for the time being.

Mira glanced over at the tunnel watching the light of her flame pony fade away.

"Glow, he's not a sad pony." Mira whispered to herself. "He's a kind pony. He's kind."


	52. Chapter 52: Wingston's Pledge

Princess Celestia carried Wingston through the long dark tunnels beneath the Kingdom of Naught. It was unclear to them that this world had any other name than the Void, but it lived up to both titles. They passed the time sharing ideas of what had happened, information they had each uncovered during their research into the Void, but the tunnels proved to be much longer to traverse than previously believed. Silence soon settled between them, contemplating their next move, and pondering the worse to come if their situation wouldn't improve anytime soon. Formalities had soon slipped away between them, it was nearly second nature to address one another formally, adding titles, acting trim and proper, but Princess Celestia felt comfortable letting her guard down around Wingston. For most of his life, Wingston had been in the company of royalty and dignitaries to which he knew how to extend every courtesy, and between them it felt that such niceties were more for public viewing than among old friends.

"Griffons or Yaks?" Princess Celestia posed to him.

"Oh, Yaks any day." Wingston replied without hesitation.

"You'd rather entertain Yaks rather than Griffons?"

"Yaks are merely set in their ways, it is simply adapting to the mindset, but Griffon's have an attitude I cannot stand to tolerate for more than a few minutes at a time."

"I suppose you make a fair point, but I feel Griffins are much easier to please."

"I would not argue that."

Princess Celestia's horn flashed with magic, striking the side of the cave with a rather large 'x', marking their path incase needing to back track for any reason. It wasn't every day that Celestia had time to simply make small talk with another pony, especially when the other pony didn't feel uncomfortable being around royalty. It had given her a rare opportunity to be candid with somepony trustworthy and sensible.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, Wingston?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

"Not at all." Wingston replied.

"Did you leave behind any family members before your accident and eventual transition into flame pony culture?"

"I was a father and perhaps a grandfather by now. Enough time has passed that such a thing would be plausible."

"You were married?"

Wingston chuckled a bit.

"There is no commitment in that regard, we were just bats doing what nature had intended, and the males of our species opt to live apart from their mates. It wasn't until Lady Glow began to tutor me did I start understanding the more complex relationships that other species are capable of."

"Have you tried to reconnect with your kind?"

"You would be surprised on how narrow minded a bats life can be. I remember a much simpler life of finding something to eat and avoiding potential predators. But no, I have not tried to speak with my kind again."

"Forgive me if you felt I was prying. I have been curious of it since Lady Glow made the announcement of naming you Royal Advisor to the crown."

"Perish the thought, my Lady. I find it flattering that you took an interest in my life."

"With one so handsome it is hard not to take an interest." Princess Celestia remarked with a smile.

This got Wingston to laugh, his hood hiding his embarrassment, but it was clear that he was flushing from her words. Wingston's thoughts began to flood with the day Lady Glow had presented him to Lord Scorch her candidate for their Royal Advisor.

* * *

"Well, this is your big moment. Don't let Scorch intimidate you, it's just a facade that he puts on in public. He's actually very sweet."

Glow towered over Wingston, magically adjusting his cloak, brushing bits of lint from his shoulder and offering him words of encouragement.

"I do not doubt that, my Lady, but I do not think he will be _sweet_ to me." Wingston remarked.

"Nonsense. You've already passed two of Scorch's requirements. The first being that you are not a flame pony, but a bat with no other allegiance than that of the crown."

"And the second?"

"The second being that I had to choose a candidate and I've chosen you."

Wingston flushed beneath his hood, feeling his nerves spike for an entirely different reason now.

Standing within the throne room, Lady Glow flourished her wings, her royal dress furrowing the ribbons that dragged from her dress, preparing to enter the main hall of Castle Char. She was to emerge from the throne room doors, meeting Scorch just outside to welcome everypony to their Grand Winter Solstice. A winter dance, hosted annually by the Ashen Fields, that was very unique party on its own. For there was no snow that fell in the kingdom, welcoming every pony from Equestria that sought a warm night's reprieve from their chilling winter. It was also a chance for ponies from far and wide to celebrate an early Hearth's Warming Eve, to allow them to celebrate the actual day with family and friends.

"After I leave to help welcome our guests, I'll pull Scorch away so that he can come accept you as our new Royal Advisor. I've asked Argo Fleece and General Hearth to help vouch for your candidacy, they should be arriving shortly." Glow informed him.

Fanfare erupted from the hall, signalling Glow that her time to emerge was drawing near. Beaming at Wingston once more, trying to offer him the confidence he seemed to be lacking, she headed down the corridor to greet their honored guests. The doors of the throne room were pulled open, revealing Scorch at the foot of the staircase awaiting to accept Glow's hoof and welcome every pony together.

Wingston remained behind within the throne room, bathed in the moonlight, hearing the excited cries of every pony that was in attendance. Hundreds of ponies from all over Equestria, delegates, royalty, dignitaries, and more had come to partake in this party. Very few ponies knew of Wingston, only those that worked with Lady Glow directly had ever had the chance to meet him. Such ponies like General Hearth and Argo Fleece that had personally oversaw parts of his education concerning military tactics and economics. It just so happened that these two particular ponies had entered the throne room corridor just before the doors closed behind Lady Glow.

Together Argo and General Hearth walked the length of the corridor, speaking among themselves of the night ahead. Much of it concerned their own work, whether it be security or the expenses that party would bring, but for the moment their focus became on Wingston and helping him to achieve this important position.

"Nervous?" Argo asked aloud making his way towards him.

"Not really." Wingston fibbed.

"Well you should be, this isn't a position Lord Scorch ever intended to fill."

"I'd be more nervous about inviting Ms. Troy to the party tonight. I hope her secret admire finally reveals himself to her before she is stood up once again." Wingston replied calmly.

Argo's mane sizzled with embarrassment while General Hearth laughed at his uneasiness.

"He's got you pegged, Argo." General Hearth remarked.

"I don't see how _my_ personal affairs is any of your businesses."

"I'm just curious to know if you really plan to tell her this time. Helena isn't a know nothing pony, she's going to find out sooner or later who her secret admirer and when she finds out it was you she'll think it was all some cruel prank."

"It's not a prank! I really do lo-" Argo cut himself off finding it difficult to say the word.

General Hearth patted Argo on the back, trying to give his friend some support, but turned his attention to Wingston. With a smile, General Hearth put a firm hoof on his shoulder giving him some much needed reassurance as well.

"Argo is right, though. Ever since the Council had disbanded, Scorch has had no need of a go between or a pony second guessing his commands. Personally, I like the idea of having some pony to bounce ideas off of, to get a different perspective on things, but you'll have to convince him that."

"He must think it a joke for a crippled bat to be his advisor." Wingston mumbled.

"Lord Scorch can be intimidating, he is not as wise as his father was, but he is no fool. He places his trust fully into those he deems fit to help lead his kingdom, if he senses any doubt in you, he will not accept you as his Advisor, but if he sees your conviction he will not turn you away." General Hearth explained to him.

"Remember to speak only when spoken to and don't be afraid to be honest with him. He has enough yes ponies that jump at the crackle of his flame, so you need to show him that you will not stand aside for what you believe is right. An Advisor must believe in himself if he is to inspire others." Argo added.

"Thank you for being here to help voice support in Lady Glow's choice in me being the Royal Advisor." Wingston bowed to them.

"We've spent enough time together that it would just be a hassle to train another." Argo retorted.

"That's his way of saying you're welcome." General Hearth stated.

From the end of the corridor the doors to the throne room slid open. The deep red flames of King Scorch appeared against the darkened walls of the corridor, quickly followed by Lady Glow's soft yellow flames. Argo Fleece and General Hearth backed away from Wingston, allowing him to stand before Scorch by himself. Wingston swallowed hard, feeling his grip upon his staff tighten and heart begin to race.

"What's going on, Glow?" Scorch whispered to her.

"There's something very important that we need to discuss." Glow hissed back.

"Right now? With the party?"

"It's the perfect time because you'll be able to formally introduce him to everypony here as our Royal Advisor."

"Our what?"

King Scorch stopped short of Wingston, staring down at him, realizing what Glow had intended this to be. Scorch watched Wingston bow his head low, as did Argo and General Hearth, which gave him the chance to glance over at Glow to see if she was actually being serious with this. A sharp jab of her arm to his side made it clear that this wasn't a joke and proceeded to provide introductions.

"Scorch, I present to you, Wingston of the Dark Marsh, my candidate for the position of Royal Advisor." Glow stated proudly.

Wingston raised his head to find Scorch's eyes fixed upon him. There was a sudden change in the atmosphere, there was a tension that seemed to derive from the two of them as if sizing each other up. Almost a whole minute of silence went by without any pony saying anything, while Scorch stared down at Wingston unblinking.

"G-General Hearth and Argo Fleece are here to voice their support for his position as our advisor." Glow added looking to them for help.

"My Lord, we-" General Hearth had began but was cut short by Scorch's wing whipping out to signal him from speaking further.

It was clear that Scorch was taking this very seriously now, as if the idea of having a true outsider, a non flame pony, offering him advice on serious matters was worth exploring. Scorch knew Wingston only as much as Glow had shared with him, in fact, this was probably their third time ever being in the same room together. Wingston had spent much of his time in the dungeons, studying old flame pony texts, and educating himself while Scorch attended to much of his kingly duties. It was difficult for Scorch to read WIngston, not only from the cloak that concealed him from head to claws, but because he never had to profile a bat before.

Over the last couple of weeks, General Hearth and Argo Fleece had been mentioning Wingston's name more and more to him. Crediting him for certain ideas and helpful suggestions, only realizing now that this was their way of warming him up to the idea of considering Wingston for his Royal Advisor. The only thing holding Scorch back from agreeing to this was that neither he nor Wingston had ever held a conversation with each other and wondered how any sort of trust was to be built between them.

There was a sudden clatter that seemed to make every pony jump in surprise, Wingston had dropped his staff to the ground and took a rather hobbled step forward to Scorch. Scorch seemed taken aback by this, even he knew that Wingston struggled to walk even with his staff, but saw his determination to walk unhindered to him.

"Wingston-" Glow began but noticed Scorch raising his hoof to her to allow him to continue.

"Lord Scorch, I was never meant to walk on two legs and I will never again know the joy of flying. For I had my wing ripped from me, without mercy, crippled by the orc, Grog, and left me to die in the mud of the marsh." Wingston began.

Lifting his injured wing, revealing to Scorch the small traces of what was on his wings between his fingers. Wingston wavered from time to time, doing his best to stand tall before the King. Scorch's flames seared from the mention of the orc, although there was guilt riddling his face from knowing another creature fell victim to his enemy.

"I believed my life to be over, wondering whether it would starvation, the cold, or even predator to claim it. I dragged myself through the marsh, trying to walk, wandering through muck and the brush before collapsing out of exhaustion just outside the treeline, and knew I could go no further. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was a pony bathed in fire rushing towards me. When I had awoken, I found myself in the care of Lady Glow, who befriended me, educated me, offered me a home, and eventually gave me a voice."

Wingston struggled to kneel down, doing his best to be as dignified as he could infront of King Scorch.

"It is my wish, my desire, to repay this kindness that was shown to me. I devote myself to this kingdom, I pledge to serve the crown faithfully and to place the future of your flame ponies above all else. Crippled as I may be, I feel a fire burning within me that drives me on, that pushes me to become something more than just a bat. Grant me a place in your kingdom, allow me stand at your side to ensure the best possible future for your ponies and help give my life meaning again."

Wingston kept his gaze to the ground, staring at the flames that spewed from King Scorch's hooves.

"The Orc that took your wing was due to my failing, Wingston, if I had dealt with him when I had the chance you would never have had to endure such suffering and for that I am sorry."

From the corner of his eyes, Wingston could see his staff floating into view before him. Scorch's magic surrounding the staff, offering it to him, with a small smirk on his face.

"General Hearth, the commander of my armies, supports you. The Master of Coin, Argo Fleece, vouches for you. Even my Queen shows complete trust and confidence in your abilities. This kingdom was not saved by its king, it was ponies willing to devote themselves to a cause greater than themselves. In these uncertain times where the southern winds whisper a coming war with this orc, I will need an advisor that can hold me to the mark and challenge my authority." Scorch stated.

"Ahem." Glow cleared her throat.

"W-While of course this being separate from the authority that my marvelous Queen and special somepony, Glow, has over me. Who has not only enriched my life, but the lives of every flame pony and proven herself invaluable to our future as both a Queen and a doting wife." Scorch added quickly.

"That was a nice save." General Hearth whispered to Argo.

"Dragon fire hath no fury like a mare flame pony scorned." Argo recited.

"Is that what you're going to tell Helena?"

Argo Fleece's mane flared, having realized he left Helena waiting for her supposed secret admirer to make himself known tonight. Scorch cleared his throat, trying to regain his regal composure.

"Wingston of the Dark March, I, Lord Scorch Phoenix, welcome you officially into our lands as an honorary flame pony and bestow upon you the position of Royal Advisor, to which you will serve without fail in assuring the future of this kingdom. Consider this land your home, these flame ponies your kin, and I, a friend."

Wingston bowed his head in acceptance, taking hold of his staff and using it to help lift himself from the ground. Glow quickly kissed Scorch on the cheek, happy with his decision, which only made him flush and flare his mane from his embarrassment. General Hearth and Argo turned their heads, pretending not to have noticed.

"I will not fail you, my King." Wingston stated graciously.

Glow lowered her head, her wing wrapping around Wingston to hug him. General Hearth and Argo approached him as well, patting him on the shoulder congratulating him on his new position. The sounds of the party were beginning to reach through the thick rock walls of the throne room, bringing Scorch's attention back to their guests awaiting to make small talk with them.

"It would be rude if we are to remain here while our distinguished guests wait to indulge us in their _riveting_ conversations. At least this will provide us with the opportunity to introduce Wingston to the rest of the nobles as our new Royal Advisor. Hopefully they'll find more of an interest in talking with him tonight." Scorch remarked looking back down the corridor to the main hall.

"Oh no, you're going to dump all those talkative fancy ponies on poor Wingston. You're going to go out there and mingle for once." Glow stated firmly pushing Scorch to have him start moving.

"Don't make me do this, Glow. I swear to Celestia that if I have to listen to one more fancy pony's story about salad forks I'm going to go jump into a river."

"If I have to listen to their boring stories than you're going to be standing right there beside me listening to it as well."

"I'm losing years off my life with these stories, I'm telling you it's slowly killing me."

Scorch begrudgingly walked down the corridor with Glow following right beside him, trying to remind him of his manners when speaking to the Yaks and minding his temper with some of the long winded nobles.

"I would normally stick around to help with introductions to certain visiting nobles, Wingston, but I have… uh… a previous engagement to attend to." Argo said flushing at his own words.

"If you find the courage to speak with Ms. Troy tonight, please tell her I said hello." Wingston remarked.

Argo cleared his throat, trying to maintain his serious nature, but he resembled a young colt going out on his first date with his special somepony. General Hearth wished him luck, watching him mumble how he would greet Helena when he did finally meet her.

"So, Royal Advisor, may I offer you a lift to the main hall? I can only imagine how bad your claws are aching right now." General Hearth proposed.

Wingston was leaning against his staff with both wings, trying to take as much weight off his claws as he could. General Hearth had already kneeled down beside him, knowing that he was going to accept his offer.

"I will only indulge this once. This will not become a habit." Wingston told him climbing atop his back.

"You have a difficult task ahead of you, Wingston. Lord Scorch is a difficult pony to deal with and is more stubborn than any donkey I've ever know. Although, Lady Glow has the utmost faith in you from the way she speaks of you."

"I will not disappoint them." Wingston stated confidently.

* * *

Wingston looked down at his torn wing, having noticed his aging features of his long fingers, and how only memories reamined of such a time. Words were now reaching his ears, Princess Celestia had been speaking for some time with Wingston having paid her no mind. Snapping out of his walk down memory lane, Wingston focused back in on Princess Celestia's conversation.

"So Luna and have been trying to figure something out, Wingston, as it concerns the Phoenix bloodline, and I'm curious to know if you had any insight into it." Princess Celestia spoke up.

"I am familiar some relative history concerning Smolder's ancestors, but I'm more well versed in the lives of Lady Glow and Lord Scorch."

"Well during our attempts to research the Void, Luna, Discord, and I found something rather puzzling about Lord Smoke."

"Oh?"

"Discord had discovered an old book that kept a family tree of all the royal families from all across Equestria. It turns out that Lord Smoke did _not_ pass on his name to his son, but instead he gave him the surname Phoenix. I was wondering if you had any insight into why that was."

WIngston pondered for a moment, trying to think back to any conversations he had with Scorch or any readings he may have come across concerning it.

"I must admit, my Lady, I do not know why he decided to do such a thing. I can only make assumptions to why, but such knowledge was not present within the historical slates I had read."

"It will probably be lost to history then."

"Things that are lost are meant to be found, while things that are gone are meant to be remembered. We may yet find an answer to such a question in time."

"Is it true that the Mad King liked to dance?" Princess Celestia asked curiously looking over her shoulder.

"Lord Scorch had his pride, but he also had own muses. He was never allowed to show any weakness and when he did his ponies chastised him for it. I believe dancing was one of the few ways he was able to express himself without being judged for it." Wingston thought back on it.

"Was he any good?"

Princess Celestia could see Wingston smiling beneath his hood.

"If I recall, the night the Twins were born, Scorch was the happiest any pony had ever seen him. It took several doctor ponies and a few nurse ponies to finally kick him out of the Infirmary to allow Lady Glow and his sons to rest. It was said that he danced throughout the halls of Castle Char without any reservation, singing to himself over the joy of his sons being born."

"You're kidding?" Princess Celestia asked looking rather surprised.

"Our royal guards were so confused by the King's actions that they ended up joining in and dancing to avoid getting into trouble later for throwing off Scorch's groove. General Hearth, Argo Fleece, Burning Sand, everypony in the castle was said to have danced along with their King that night in celebration. Every pony had seen a different side of their king that night. One that was kind, joyful, and above all happy."

Princess Celestia smiled at the thought of it, but soon started to chuckle to herself at another idea.

"Something humorous?" Wingston asked her curiously.

"Do you think Smolder inherited his father's love of dancing?" Princess Celestia questioned him.

"I couldn't say. I've personally never seen him dance before, but I suppose he's never had a reason to. He's quite light on his hooves, fairly coordinated, but I don't think Smolder has any sort of rhythm. " Wingston replied tapping his chin.

"In that case I will be inviting Smolder to the next Grand Galloping Gala and we'll make it a requirement that he take part in the first dance."

"If I'm not mistaken, young members of royalty are meant to bring a date to such an event, or perhaps such requirements have been rescinded since than."

"Wingston, such formal occasions require such things, I cannot change years of tradition just for him."

"I fear Smolder will know not what to do if presented with such a task." Wingston mentioned.

"That is why he has his most trusted advisor to assist him." Princess Celestia quipped.

Wingston thought for a moment of how much Smolder had relied on him, not just as a friend or an advisor, but even as a father figure. How his failure to advise the both king and queen to better paths had opened the door to leading their youngest son to bring about a brighter future they had always wanted for their kingdom. In some small way, Wingston felt he had kept his promise to both of them, and would continue to do so. Princess Celestia and Wingston journeyed further into the long dark tunnel, finding enjoyment in picturing Smolder trying to dance and who he would ask to accompany him to such a gala.


	53. Chapter 53: A Sticky Situation

The flames of the Twins chased the darkness from the tunnel, providing a very comforting light to the dark world of the Void, and the warmth of their flames even felt comforting to them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash impressions of Wick and Pyre had begun to change with Daing Do's casual interview with them. Drifting through the air just beside Wick, Daring Do carried her journal and a pencil in her hooves while writing down some notes on each of them. Her questions concerned their time in the Void, what they had seen, what they had eaten, and generally how they survived this long. It was useful information to have seeing as their own stay in the Void was unknown for the moment and if they were to be seperated for any reason Daring Do would be better prepared. Eventually her questions carried over to their childhood, who they were as ponies, it was to establish a background to which Daring Do could add to her future story on her adventure into this other dimension.

"Our mother left us when we were very little, to search for our father in the Void, and leaving us to become the stewards of the Ashen Fields when she failed to return." Pyre had told her.

The Twins were rather forthcoming about their upbringing, choosing their words carefully, revealing the difficulties of ruling a failing kingdom with a infantile Smolder to look after. When they spoke of their father's appearance within the mirror, his promise of power, they took no liberties to stray away from their own brand of cruelty shown to their flame ponies. Their father fueled the Twins anger of their mother's abandonment of them, casting blame to Celestia for banishing him in the first place, and the weakness of their own flame ponies for not winning the war. It was becoming clear that the Twins were manipulated, their rage twisted by their father's words, and found themselves as instruments of the Mad King's will.

"Why would you let your father take advantage of you?" Daring Do questioned them.

"Who are you to trust if not your own parents?" Pyre replied with a question of his own.

Daring Do didn't have a response for him. To Applejack, the Twins seemed to have mellowed out during their time here. Rainbow Dash was gradually warming up to them, having noticed some similarities they shared with Smolder. One of them being that the three brothers shared a quizzical stare that had them wide eyed, brow slightly cocked, and their head tilted just to the right. Their attitude overall had become less jaded and cold. They no longer spoke with a superiority about them, having obtained some humility from their situation, but their personalities were still very much present. Wick was still a very prideful pony, headstrong, confrontational, but every pony saw that he was capable of showing compassion when coming back to save Smolder. Pyre on the other hoof was much more reserved, more dignified, proper, but he too was willing to throw fire whenever his brothers were threatened.

With all the questions being directed towards them, Applejack could begin to see hints of their own uneasiness in wanting to ask about their brother. Although, neither of them seemed willing to ask, perhaps feeling unfamiliar with them to take such liberties, but it was just another trait they seemed to share with Smolder.

"You know, before this whole mess started, we and our friends were asked to help out with the reconstruction of the Ashen Fields. Wingston speared headed the whole idea, but it was because Smolder ended up trying to do everything himself." Applejack began.

Wick and Pyre took a glance over their shoulders, Applejack having piqued their interest. Coincidently, Smolder's efforts to do things on his own was another trait that he had picked up from his brothers.

"Being a king doesn't require you to be apart of every little aspect in the kingdom. Certain things should be left to capable ponies to allow him to focus on more serious and delicate political matters." Pyre stated.

"He's a fool." Wick muttered.

"Well, that's why we stepped in. Utilizing our skills, we branched out around the Ashen Fields and helped out with some of the problems the flame ponies were having." Applejack explained.

"That's when Smolder fell asleep for like three days." Rainbow Dash tacked on.

"Smolder slept for three days?" Wick asked in disbelief.

"That's right, although it wasn't really his idea, because there was something in that ruined Void mirror that kept him from waking up." Applejack affirmed to them.

Pyre rolled his eyes. "Smolder is a magnet for strange things."

"Well that's not even the weirdest part, because when he finally did wake up we discovered a mystery pony hiding out in the dungeons below the castle." Rainbow Dash contributed.

The Twins wouldn't admit to it, but they seemed desperate to hear more of what they had to say. Luckily, Rainbow Dash and Applejack didn't mind telling them of the events that had taken place during their time in the Ashen Fields and it was a kindness that allowed the Twins to know of what had gone on during their absence.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash went on to explain to them of the mystery pony turning out to be Princess Sapphire and the theft of an Obelisk. Leading into the appearance of the Orc known as Gorun that threatened to bring an end to flame pony kind. Which all came to climatic battle that had taken place between the Ashen Fields, an army of spiders, and the Great Elder Dragon named Char. The Twins had slowed their pace, so focused on their tale that they hung onto every word they uttered. Rainbow Dash provided sound effects for parts that concerned the dragon and offered to portray the orc in a rather unflattering way. They covered everything they could possibly remember with them, unable to give exact details to what happened to Smolder and the orc as it was told to them by other ponies. While some details were better left for Twilight and the others to fill in, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had given them a solid recounting of everything that had happened up until Smolder had stepped into the Void.

"That idiot willing stepped into the Void?" Wick asked rhetorically shaking his head.

"Yup." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Wait, I'm confused." Pyre mentioned quickly looking rather perplexed.

"With what?" Applejack asked.

"Is this Herbal Tea mare Smolder's special some pony or is it Princess Sapphire?" Pyre questioned them.

"Yeah, I was a little hazy on that too." Daring Do chimed in.

"To be honest, I don't rightly know. It seems like they are all pretty close, but I ain't one to start jumping to conclusions." Applejack said.

"Well Smolder invited Tea to the Coronation, while Princess Sapphire was forced into an arranged marriage with him, except Smolder ended up refusing it, but sent Tea home to protect her from the Orc and then ended up saving Princess Sapphire from the dragon. We later found out that the lantern Tea had carried Smolder's fire that could reopen the portal, but he asked Princess Sapphire for help in finding all the Obelisks." Rainbow Dash tried to explain.

"Which explains how and why you ponies are here now." Wick stated.

"Well we're still a little hazy on that part." Daring Do mentioned.

"Your presence here must have something to do with the Arcana and the Storm." Pyre surmised.

"How do you know that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It is the only thing that has happened around here since the appearance of the Elder Dragon."

"You mentioned an Arcana." Daring Do quickly pointed out. "Would it's name happen to Mira?"

"Unfortunately, we know very little about such a creature, including a name. Our father merely mentioned it, but we have not actually seen it." Pyre replied.

"It would seem like those Obelisks and these Arcana are linked somehow. Just like Tear and how she felt one of the Obelisks being attacked." Appplejack stated.

"We're still a ways away from the next set. Hopefully you're friends have had the presence of mind to stay put." Wick told them.

* * *

"Don't stop running!" Princess Sapphire exclaimed.

Twilight and Spike galloped past Princess Sapphire with Fluttershy following close behind. A series of spells erupted from Princess Sapphire's horn, blasting large maggots that broke through the tunnel walls trying to devour them.

"Why is everything trying to eat us?" Spike exclaimed in frightened disbelief.

The purple light from Twilight's horn led their way through the darkness, shooting spells at any maggot that sprung from the ground or walls before her. No matter how far the group ran, there seemed to be no end to the amount of maggots or worms that kept swarming around them.

Throwing on the brakes, Twilight slid to the edge of a sudden slope that seemed to drop straight down into the abyss below. The loose dirt beneath her hooves was pushed over the ledge from he sliding stop, trickling down into the darkness and proving that there was no end in sight.

"Drop off!" Twilight shouted back down the tunnel.

With a flare of her wings, Princess Sapphire quickly leaped through the air gliding high over the maggots reach. Turning to back towards the tunnel, Sapphire's mane began storming, her eyes burning blue, before releasing a blast of frost that froze the walls and maggots in ice. Her attack seemed only temporary, the ice already beginning to crack as the maggots attempted to break through, leaving them with little choice but to brave the drop.

"Twilight, I'm going create a platform of ice. We'll ride it down, but I'll need your help to keep it from flipping over." Princess Sapphire told her quickly.

"Right." Twilight replied.

Another blast of frost escaped Princess Sapphire's mouth, forming a flat chunk of ice just on the edge of the drop off. Twilight's magic was already surrounding the ice, stepping onto it carefully while giving Fluttershy a hoof to climb on. The frozen maggots were shattering the ice, squelching their way towards them, snapping their many orifices in desperate hunger. Climbing aboard, Princess Sapphire gave a swift kick to the ledge that the ice clung to. It cracked loudly before suddenly dropping into the abyss with the screams of every pony quickly growing further and further away.

The ice platform dropped like a rock, striking the sides of the tunnel and knocking every pony off balance. With the wind racing past them, the ice slowly being chipped away, Twilight did her best to focus her magic on pitching the ice to and fro to keep it level. A sudden flash of Princess Sapphire's horn created a thousands if not millions of snowflakes to form beneath them from the chunk of ice. With every pony free falling for just a few more seconds, the snow was first to crash upon the ground with every pony plopping atop the soft powder. Twilight and Fluttershy tumbled from the snowbank, their manes coated in flakes ice, looking none too happy with their current situation.

"You okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked brushing the snow from her mane.

"I think I've had enough excitement for one day." Fluttershy replied softly.

Spike emerged from the snow pile, wiping snow from his polar suit that had some rather unfortunate tears in it.

"Just once I'd like to go on an adventure where we can eat some delicious treats at some nice hotel near a sunny beach." Spike mumbled bitterly.

Twilight looked back at the snowbank expecting to see Princess Sapphire emerging from it as well, but found her absent from it. Getting to her hooves, Fluttershy noticed the lack of a Princess among them and approached the snow to have a look.

"Princess Sapphire?" Twilight called out.

With no reply, Twilight walked around the edge of the snowbank to see that the other side of the mound was missing, having fallen off a precarious cliffside. Leaning over the edge of the cliff, Twilight peered over the ledge watching clumps of snow fall into the darkness. Fluttershy and Spike hurried over to have a look as well and saw a soft glint of blue light near the bottom.

"Princess Sapphire!" Twilight called out once again.

"Oh dear, she might be hurt. How are we going to get down there?" Fluttershy asked looking towards Twilight.

"Let's try to find a way down to reach her." Twilight suggested stepping away from the ledge.

Princess Sapphire didn't realize that she had fallen further than the others, having realized too late that most of the snow remained near the ledge while the rest scattered from the fall. Landing hard against the floor, bumping her head and blacking out for a while. Luckily, the impact had been softened, but not by snow. Stirring from her unconscious haze, Princess Sapphire found herself struggling to move.

"Twilight… Fluttershy? Little dragon?" Princess Sapphire mumbled unsure of her surroundings.

Attempting to raise her hoof to her head to ease the pounding within her skull, she found that her arm was being held back by something. Quickly becoming frustrated, Princess Sapphire brought her horn to a bright shine to reveal a rather large pool of viscous goo around her. It's thickness prevented Sapphire from sinking quickly, although it did envelope most of her back legs and one whole wing making it even more difficult to move. Lifting her arm with all her might, the goo stretched right along with her and slowly globbing itself down her side.

"What the?" Sapphire mumbled frustratingly. "What is this? Sweet Celestia it feels so gross!"

Digging her hooves deep into the dirt, Sapphire attempted to pull herself from the goo, but fell short of dislodging more than a couple of inches of her hind legs. Plopping to the ground, Sapphire let out an exasperated sigh, noticeably tired from all the exploits up until now.

There were three shrill shrieks that gradually grew louder as Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike fell out of the air into the goo around her. The goo softened their impact, but swallowed them up to their chests. Sapphire looked very surprised to see them.

"What the hay is this stuff?" Spike asked struggling against the goo.

"Why did you ponies jump in after me?" Sapphire questioned them.

"Hide your horn's light!" Twilight barked at her.

With the amount of urgency and fear in Twilight's voice, Sapphire diminished the magic from her horn quickly wondering what could possibly be coming. High up above, from the ledge every pony had jumped from, a sickening squelching slap of wet meat filled the cavern air. Every pony fell quiet, watching a darkened mass pass over their heads. Drips of goo plopped down around them, the creature excreting the viscous fluids the group now found themselves in.

"What is it?" Sapphire asked in a whisper.

"It's like a giant squid or something." Twilight hissed back.

"We didn't even know it was there until Twilight's horn shined on it." Spike whispered shakily.

The massive squid lurched itself across the cavern ceiling, letting its tentacles drag itself down the walls and come to a rest on the other side of the pool of goo the ponies were trapped in. Sapphire's frosty mane did not admit any sort of light, it did however reflect from other light sources, which nullified any chance of using magic. An upheaval of wind roared through the cavern as a enormous tentacle struck down beside the group, throwing a wave of goo over them, and breaking the ground beneath it. While being covered from head to hoof in this goo was not ideal, the cracks within the ground acted like a sort of drain that began sive themselves from their sticky situation. No pony could see what the creature was doing, it was safe to assume that their presence had gone unnoticed for the moment, but sticking around wasn't part of their plan.

"Every pony, try making your way towards me. There is some ground here to help pull yourself free." Sapphire whispered loudly to the lot.

Sapphire assumed that every pony nodded in agreement, unable to see their face in the darkness. There was of course the struggled movements through the goo Sapphire felt from every pony trying to wiggle themselves free, but the effort was exhausting and the progress slow. With her wing nearly free, Sapphire tried fanning it open only to feel the goo had layered itself thick upon her feathers.

"You're almost out, Princess Sapphire." Spike whispered to her.

The touch of Spike's claws on her hoof indicated his attempt to help pull her from the goo, a gesture she graciously appreciated.

"Thanks, little dragon." Sapphire mumbled.

After about a minute of trying to pull herself free, it had dawned on Princess Sapphire that Spike had already freed himself having fallen further from the ledge than her.

"Spike? How did you get out of the goo so quickly?"

"Oh, I just took off my polar suit and walked across. It was kind of sticky to walk through, but my smaller size didn't make me sink as much. I really wanted to keep it, they don't really make things in dragon size, but it was ruined anyway." Spike told her.

Twilight and Fluttershy had overheard Spike and began to relieve themselves of their now sticky clothing. Fluttershy was able to wiggle free from her polar suit, imitating a butterfly emerging from a cocoon before floating up and over the goo. Twilight had a more difficult time freeing herself from her polar suit, without the use of her magic she struggled to pull herself free. Luckily, Fluttershy took hold of her hooves, gently pulling Twilight free of her gooey suit, and helped her ashore. Together every pony lent a hoof to free Princess Sapphire from the goo, unfortunately pulling much of it with her as it coated her quickly heavily.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"I did not imagine this day turning out to be so horrible." Sapphire confessed sounding rather burnt out.

Every pony smiled sympathetically for her, even if she could not see it, knowing that Sapphire had done everything and more to help Smolder. The goo dragged from Sapphire as she got to her hooves, without the use of magic in fear of attracting the attention of the dormant giant squid, Sapphire tried her best to scrape the goo from her hide.

"We'll need stick close together if we're going to get out of here and not get separated." Twilight informed them.

"Just lean against me, we'll really stick together." Sapphire mumbled frustratingly.

"Yeah, but which ways out?" Spike asked quietly.

Spike had made a strong point, without any source of light there was no way to tell where anything was. With no pony sure that giant squid had fallen asleep or perhaps lay in wait for a glint of light to appear again, there wasn't much any pony could do.

"We could try flying back up to where we were?" Twilight suggested.

"My wing is useless to me right now, we'd have to wait for the goo to dry out or something." Sapphire told her.

The massive creature started to churn, its large tentacle it had slam down beginning to draw back away from them. Loud gurgling sounds of the squid bubbled within it own ilk, while a stream of liquid could be heard in the darkness pouring like water across the cavern floor.

Sapphire could not know what the squid was doing without being able to see, making a quick judgement call, she fired a quick spell high into the air acting like a flare. The spell exploded high overhead, drawing the squids attention upward with its tentacles already reaching for the burning ball of magic. Every pony could see just how massive this creature was, it seemed to be big enough to wrestle with the Elder Dragon Char in some monster battle. What terrified every pony more than the giant squid was the ink it had released, melting the very stone beneath it and rapidly pouring crashing towards them like a tide.

"We're gonna be turned into goo!" Spike hollered in dismay.

"There are tunnels in the walls of the cavern. We can use one of them to get out of here." Twilight pointed out to them.

With Princess Sapphire's spell having given them a much needed look into the darkness, it had also revealed them to the creature. With Sapphire's mane reflecting in the light of the magic, the creature targeted her over the others that were barely visible to the creature.

Like a whip, the creatures tentacle rolled out towards her, it massive suckers peckering to take hold of her. There was no need for words, every pony ran to get out of the way, but Sapphire had elected to run the opposite direction of the others. The tentacle slammed down hard against the ground, splashing the ink that sprinkled the sides of the cavern and melted the rock beneath it.

"Princess Sapphire!" Twilight called out to her.

"It's after me! Get yourselves to safety!" Sapphire shouted back to them.

Try as she might, the goo that coated her wing would not slide off and kept her grounded. The tentacle slid itself after her, trying to flatten her outright, but the dwindling magic of her flare had shown her a small divot in the cavern wall to hide herself in. Diving in, Sapphire shielded herself while the massive tentacle scraped past her with such force that it carved most of the rock wall with it.

A sudden flash of purple erupted within the cavern, Twilight's horn a glow from firing a spell at the creature. The massive squid lurched it's tentacles in Twilight's direction, allowing Sapphire time to escape, but filled her with dread at the prospect of the others being injured.

The squids tentacle slammed down hard at where Twilight stood, having only missed her by seconds as she teleported herself far to the right of the creature. Realizing that its prey had gotten away, the creature noticed another flash illuminate the cavern, but this time it was green from up above.

"Hey you! Over here!" Spike hollored aback Fluttershy who floated high over the creature.

Out of reach of the giant squid, Fluttershy floated about while Spike breathed several large balls of fire to keep the creature's attention. With the sinking sickle of the creatures tentacles, the squid lifted itself up the side of the wall to reach them.

"Oh my." Fluttershy mumbles.

The giant squid flung its tentacle at them, yet Fluttershy floated out of it reach, but the slick of goo the flew from it struck them anyway. Fluttershy's wing had been gooped just as Sapphire's had and struggled to keep herself aloft. Spike had been knocked from her back tumbled out of the air. The corrosive black ink of the squid bubbled below Spike who fell helplessly through the air.

"Augh!" Spike cried closing his eyes in painful anticipation.

A streak of black and white cut through the air, snatching Spike before landing in the ink. It was followed by a rainbow streak that came to Fluttershy's aid. Spike had felt himself being carried, allowing himself to open one eye and see that none of than Daring Do had swooped in to save him.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight shouted in disbelief.

"Easy there, Fluttershy. I got you." Rainbow Dash said holding onto her.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash brought them down to Princess Sapphire and anxious Twilight who quickly rushed over to help them. There was little time for questions or greetings, the giant squid had slopped to the floor, having noticed the bright streaks of Rainbow Dash's trail. Princess Sapphire quickly stepped up to defend every pony from the squid, but stopped short seeing a sudden explosion of fire appear over the creature.

"Smolder?" Princess Sapphire whispered.

"Not quite." Rainbow Dash replies.

The explosion of fire flared into two seperate flames, Wick and Pyre landed upon the giant squid burning it with massive amounts of fire they spewed from their mouths. Gurgling cries of the squid causes it to flail all of its tentacles, striking every wall of the cavern, cleaving rock from the walls and throwing goo everywhere.

The Twins were thrown from the creature, slamming up against the side of the walls, but quickly recovering to battle the creature further. With their fire burning wild and hot, the flames of the twins bathed the ground, drying out the goo and making the squids ink inert. Their flames forced the creature back from the others, driving it into a corner where the giant squid attempted to climb up the wall to distance itself from them.

"Now, Applejack!" Daring Do cries out.

High up on the wall of the cavern, Applejack stood at the mouth of a tunnel already bucking the side of the wall creating large cracks within it. With one final buck, the fissures broke open, collapsing the already weakened wall of the cavern and sent tons of rock and dirt down upon the creature. The pony made rockslide struck the creature, burying it under several feet of dirt and large boulders pinning it under a mound of rock. Leaping back from the debris, the Twins stood at the ready, flaring their manes ready to fight again, but watched the last few rocks bounce off the pile with no movement from the creature.

"Is it dead?" Daring Do asked.

"It better be." Wick replies rolling his shoulders.

Rainbow Dash had flown up to retrieve Applejack as the Twins approached the new group of ponies they had cones across. There were many hugs to be had amongst the reunited friends, hundreds of questions of how each other had gotten here and what had happened to them. The Twins has recognized all in present company, but approached Princess Sapphire first.

"You must be Princess Crybaby." Wick stated.

"I beg your pardon?" Sapphire asked flushing slightly.

Pyre ribbed Wick with his elbow,glaring at him, while Wick ribbed him back out of protest.

"Lady Sapphire, excuse my brother, his tendency to be rather insensitive can leave many a pony with a rather negative view of him." Pyre explained.

"H-have we met?" Sapphire asked unsure.

"We technically have met before. I am Wick and this is Pyre, elder brothers to Smolder, and son's to the Mad family had come for a visit many years ago, before our father went mad, although you were merely an infant at the time. Which my brother has so elegantly put that you were not very fond of our hospitality." Pyre told her.

"You would scream on and on." Wick added walking away from them.

Sapphire flushed feeling rather embarrassed, although she did not quite know how she could have known she was being so inconsiderate at such a young age. Wick stepped over to Fluttershy who was holding out her gooey wing looking rather dismayed.

"Just hold still. I'll dry it out." Wick said to her.

Rainbow Dash put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder to let her know that the Twins were on their side. Wick took a small breath, letting it out slowly, producing a small flame from his lips that sent a rather large amount of hot air over the goo. It quickly dried up, already cracking from the folds of her feathers, but with a few good flaps the flakes had fallen away.

"What about me?" Spike asked waddling over to Wick.

"You're a dragon, not a filly, don't be such a baby." Wick told him before walking away.

"Big, mean ol' jerk! Can't help a dragon out! Smolder would have helped me!" Spike hissed to himself trying burn his own goo away.

Pyre stepped towards Princess Sapphire, he was nearly a head taller than her, but came off more gentle colt than his brother.

"Can I help you with that, my Lady?" Pyre asked motioning to the goo that still coated her.

"Y-yes, please. Thank you." Sapphire said quickly.

"I can't believe we found you guys, and right in the nick of time! What were you ponies doing fighting a giant squid?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"What are you ponies doing with the Wonder Twins?" Spike asked almost accusingly.

"They helped us out of tight spot with some freaky creature named Aswang. They've turned over a new leaf now that they ain't taking orders from the Mad King no more." Applejack informed them.

"You saw Aswang too?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"It tried to eat us by making us play a game with a rigged die. Things could have gone south real quick, but we ended up beating it in the end with the help of the Twins here." Daring Do added.

"We must have encountered him after you guys then, because a giant wolf tore him to pieces when we found him." Twilight pointed out.

Wick walked over to Princess Sapphire, watching Pyre carefully drying out the goo that still clung to her. She seemed slightly embarrassed by this, which only made Wick smile at her uneasiness which caused her to scoff and blush harder.

"Are you Smolder's special some pony" Wick asked her.

Every pony's conversation suddenly died away as their attention had turned to Princess Sapphire who had become nearly purple in the face from her embarrassment.

"Wh-wh-wh-what?" Princess Sapphire stammered.

"These ponies have been telling us you've been hanging out with our little brother, that you tried to get him to marry you through some political mumbo jumbo." Wick told her.

Sapphire's mane was flurrying with hundreds of snowflakes, tiny squeaks seemed to escape her as she didn't know where to start on an explanation. The worst of it was having every pony watching her while being confronted by Smolder's older brothers.

"Leave her alone, Wick. It's none of our business." Pyre intervened.

With the last of the goo burned away, Pyre returned to stand with his brother who didn't seem ready to let up on the issue.

"Of course it's our business, she could be attempting a hostile takeover, steal the kingdom right from under us!" Wick argues.

Sapphire covered her face with her hooves, never before feeling as embarrassed as she had now with every pony giggling at the idea of her being such a conniving power hungry Princess.

"As unlikely as that may be, we still need to check the other Obelisks for the rest of your friends, if they managed to get themselves pulled in. I don't like leaving Smolder alone with father for this long." Pyre stayed.

Every pony perked up at this.

"You know where Smolder is?" Twilight asked.

"He's back in our cave, his flame was dangerously close to going out and needed to be rekindled." Wick told them.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Rainbow Dash asked in surprise.

"Because the Mad King does not like visitors. Especially ones that helped banish him."


	54. Chapter 54: All Tunnels Lead to Home

Wingston and Princess Celestia arrived at forked path of their tunnel. The two paths led in opposite directions of one another, and with no signs of previous ventures having taken either path they were left to make an informed decision on their own.

"Do you have a coin?" Princess Celestia asked.

"I don't carry money." Wingston replied.

"Then how shall we decide which path to take?"

Wingston held out his staff, letting it drop to the ground with a thud, as it clattered against the stone pointing to the right path.

"It's settled then." Princess Celestia stated.

Using her magic Princess Celestia levitated Wingston's staff to him before carving a circle into the wall of the left path to mark it as unexplored. Proceeding down the right path, it proved to be a fine choice as the ground remained fair and quite leveled. Eventually, their travel led them to a rather promising sight. Several more tunnels had emerged, branching paths, but also hoofprints.

"Wingston, have a look at this."

Raising the brightness of her horn, Wingston looked towards the ground seeing the several hoofprints that had overlapped one another. It had remained undisturbed, giving them a very clear line of sight to which tunnels had been most frequented.

"The only question is which path we take now." Wingston muttered.

The question was soon answered for them as the sounds of thrashing and cries echoed from the tunnel before them.

"If Twilight or any of her friends were unfortunate enough to have been pulled in as we have, they may be in serious trouble." Princess Celestia declared.

"The freshest set of tracks leads into this tunnel. It is our best chance of finding them." Wingston noted.

* * *

"I thought you said it was dead!"

Twilight's horn erupted in sudden flash of magic, producing a sphere of light that shielded her and Fluttershy from a large wave of viscous goo that washed over them. Kana, the giant squid of the Void, was thrashing its tentacles attempting to crush every pony racing around it. Wick and Pyre had drawn much Kana's attention, being that their flames casted the most noticeable light aside from the glowing horns of Princess Sapphire and Twilight.

"I _said_ that it better be! I never said it was!" Wick shouted aloud.

Wick and Pyre raced side by side, the fire of their manes engulfing them, their movements so in sync that neither lost a step or tripped over one another. If not for the massive squid attempting to crush every pony, it would have been a sight to see the rare phenomenon which was the synchronized attack pattern of the Twins. It had been said that flame pony twins, when fighting together, would increase their own power two fold, but that their instincts to predict each-others movements were unrivaled.

"If burying it under a mountain of rocks isn't going to stop it, what will?" Rainbow Dash shouted from high up above.

Kana's tentacles were whipping through the air, displacing the air as they flew by, but with Rainbow Dash's speed it was enough to keep her from being bothered by it. Even higher above her, Daring Do was looking for weakened stalactites that were close to breaking off, and fly kicking them loose to have them drop down on the giant squid. It proved rather effective as Rainbow Dash hovered over the creature allowing Daring Do to have some point of reference to where it was in the darkness below and it prevented her from accidently dropping it near friends.

"I have an idea but I'll need you ponies to by me some time!" Princess Sapphire exclaimed.

Leaping away from a giant tentacle smashing its way down the side of the cavern, Princess Sapphire landed near Twilight and Fluttershy. With a flurry of her wings, Princess Sapphire's horn dimmed of magic, her eyes beginning to burn an icy blue, and her frosty mane beginning to flourish with snow.

"I believe she is speaking to us, brother dear." Pyre mentioned.

"We could just run, brother. For old times' sake." Wick mused.

"And here I was beginning to think you liked playing the hero."

Kana's body rolled back, its mouth being revealed as it lunged itself towards the Twins to swallow them whole. Breaking left and right, the Twins split up, racing around the giant squid avoiding its massive jaws. Together the Twins spewed fire at the creature, watching the thick goo begin to solidify from the heat, while avoiding the whipping tentacles.

"Whatever it is you're going to do, make it fast!" Applejack shouted.

Spike road atop Applejack, claws full of rocks and tossing them at the giant squid. Applejack was having better luck with bucking part of the cavern walls that Kana's tentacles had previously smashed, causing large parts of the cave to collapse and bury a few of its tentacles to hinder its movements. With a mighty kick, Applejack stuck the cave wall and breaking off a large boulder that tumbled down upon several of Kana's tentacles earning a gurgled screech from the creature. With its attention drawn towards the cause of its pain, Kana ripped its tentacles from piles of rocks with such force that it through the debris across the cave wall. Applejack was already running away from the creature, but now had to avoid the fallout of the rocks raining down around her. Mantling over a large rock, a massive boulder stuck directly behind them with such force that it knocked Applejack out of the air and sent Spike tumbling away. Covering her head from the rest of the falling debris, Applejack felt a thick layer of dirt wash over her with the sound of scattered pebbles bouncing around her.

"Spike?" Applejack called out getting to her hooves.

Spike had bounced off of the ground, landing himself in another pool of goo that clung to him like melted cheese.

"I'm okay." Spike mumbled with a disgusted face.

Kana's anger was mounting, its strikes were becoming reckless, wild, and more vicious. Applejack leaped out of the way, avoiding a massive tentacle from crushing her while Rainbow Dash tried to distract the creature by flying round and round it bulbous head with her rainbow trail blinding it. One of Kana's tentacles slammed down hard against the ground before dragging itself across the ground sheering the cavern floor, threatening to roll over Spike. Spike got to his claws, trying to run away, but the goo kept him jogging place.

Wick galloped in, dropping into a slide as he collided with Spike and scooped him up into his arms. Pyre bolted after them, Wick held out a free hoof to which Pyre grabbed and with his momentum flung Spike and Wick clear of the tentacle. Pyre braced himself, not having the time to escape the path of tentacle. At the last possible moment a magical sphere appeared around Pyre, the tentacle impacted it and sent it flying into the side of the cavern imbedding it into the wall. The magical sphere faded, allowing Pyre to drop to the ground unharmed, but rather shaken.

"From Equestria's heart, I stab at thee!"

The sound of a party canon erupted throughout the cavern. Confetti littered the air, sticking to Kana's slime and effectively blinding her. Pinkie Pie tugged on the party cannon's string over and over again, showering countless clouds of confetti upon the giant squid, forcing it to retreat.

"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight shouted in disbelief and joy.

Pyre was picking himself off the ground, having been spared being splattered against the side of the cave wall as yet another familiar face approached him.

"Are you alright, darling?" Rarity asked sounding concerned.

"I'm guessing I have you to thank for that magical bubble?" Pyre asked amusingly.

"I'm just glad we got here when we did."

Cold winds were beginning to stir throughout the cavern. The icy sting was met with the frost that was suddenly creeping across stone ground and walls. Sapphire's mane plumed a storm of frigid frost, eyes burning intensely in their luminescent blue.

"Every pony get clear!" Twilight shouted.

Princess Sapphire opened her mouth, a thin blue beam pierced through the creature Kana before violently expanding into a sudden glacier of ice. A thick mist of frost settled around the glacier, the giant squid frozen within the chunk of ice as only a few tentacles were left exposed, but unmoving. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do flew down to the glacier, giving it a few taps to see if it would hold and couldn't find any movement within the creature.

"Looks you just needed to chill, squid thing." Rainbow Dash remarked.

Looking towards Daring Do for approval, Rainbow Dash met a rather disappointed gaze from her at that pun.

Fluttershy and Twilight were quick to come to Princess Sapphire's aid as she swayed on the spot having used much of her power to preform that attack.

"Are you alright, princess?" Twilight asked.

"I… just need a moment to rest." Sapphire replied shakily.

"Maybe we should lead with that next time." Applejack mentioned with a chuckle.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity hurried over, the group once more reunited, exchanging hugs and explanations to how they came to be here. Wick had stepped away from every pony to speak with his brother, looking none too happy with him.

"I had it under control." Wick mentioned.

"Really? Tell me, what were you planning on doing with a dragon in your arms and lying on your side?" Pyre asked in fake surprise.

"You could have died you idiot."

"Don't be so dramatic. I would have had a broken bone at best. You simply need to think things through before rushing in to situations."

Wick shoved Pyre with his hoof, to which Pyre returned. It was an unspoken way of saying thanks and you're welcome to one another. Spike at this time had walked over to them to express his gratitude.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue." Spike said to them.

"You're just lucky we're able to touch you, little dragon. Otherwise you would have been a dragon _pancake_ right now." Wick stated.

"That is his way of saying you're welcome." Pyre reiterated.

Daring Do flew down from up above with Rainbow Dash by her side.

"I think it's best that we get the hay out of here before that squid thing thaws out." Daring Do instructed.

"But where _exactly_ would that be?" Rarity asked.

Wick and Pyre flared their manes a bit brighter, giving off substantial light to the area and earning every pony's attention.

"Alright every pony, just stick with us and we'll get you some place safe." Wick instructed.

"Moderately safe. The Mad King has not forgotten your faces." Pyre corrected him.

The Twins walked off, heading towards a tunnel with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Do already in tow. Rarity and Pinkie Pie seemed rather unsure about trusting the Twins. With Princess Sapphire able to stand under her own power, Twilight and Fluttershy smiled reassuringly to them.

"We've got a lot to talk about, but Wick and Pyre are on our side now." Twilight informed them.

"Really? Do they know where Smolder is?" Rarity asked curiously.

"From what they've told us, they left Smolder with the Mad King." Fluttershy stated.

* * *

Princess Celestia raced down the tunnel, Wingston holding on to his hood from the speed at which she galloped. The tunnel opened into a large cavern that prompted Princess Celestia to raise the intensity of the light from her horn to reveal what was hiding in the darkness. It appeared empty, although there were several dozen hoofprints all across the sand that told them that it had been frequented quite often.

"Over there." Wingston pointed out with his staff.

Turning towards what had caught Wingston's eye, Princess Celestia could see two makeshift slabs of stone and piles of rock slates stacked beside them. Quickly approaching the slabs of stone, her light revealed etchings upon the rock walls behind the stone slabs that seemed to depict a sort of map of all the tunnels beneath the ground. There was also a two column chart of rather depictive drawings of roots, fungi, and other strange things that were labeled good to eat and what was not.

"It appears that this was engraved by a flame pony." Wingston deduced.

"Do you think it was Smolder?" Princess Celestia asked.

"There are two slabs, to which I am certain belong to the Twins rather than Smolder." Wingston noted.

"Then that means-"

Princess Celestia stopped short of finishing her thought. A deep red flame was cutting through the darkness, thick black smoke billowing past her hooves, and the sound of crackling fire could be heard reverberating from the walls. Jumping back, raising her wings to shield Wingston, Princess Celestia's horn brimmed with magic as she stared into the dark clouds that swirled in front of her. Fire emerged from the clouds, the flames etched out the body of a large colt, eyes like burning coals focused upon them, followed by a maniacal laugh that rang throughout the cavern.

"Scorch." Princess Celestia hissed coldly.

The Mad King stood before them, consumed in his fire, but his malicious grin apparent within the flames.

"It warms my _heart_ to know you would come all this way just for me, Celestia." The Mad King greeted her.

"Where are your sons, Scorch?" Princess Celestia confronted him.

"Dead, or soon to be. It matters not. Your presence has proven only one thing: that the portals _will_ open, if not for Smolder, than for you. My return to Equestria is assured, but unfortunately _you_ will not be there to stop me this time."

With a stomp of his fiery hoof, the Mad King's flames exploded from his body and his horn brimming with magic. Princess Celestia's horn, in turn, erupted with power, lowering her head to repel his attack. The Mad King spell emanated from his horn, ready to be cast, but his eyes locked upon Wingston and caused him to seize up, as his magic flickered away. Wingston stared back, unsure of what had made the Mad King hesitate, but Scorch did not seem himself.

"Wingston." The Mad King muttered.

"Yes… My Lord?" Wingston asked slowly.

Princess Celestia wasn't sure what was going on, refusing to lower her guard, but she felt Wingston slide off her back to the black sand beside her.

"Wingston!" Princess Celestia hissed at him.

"Tell… the Queen… I can't…" The Mad King mumbled.

"Can't what, my Lord?" Wingston asked again.

"I am not… to be disturbed…"

Wingston cautiously stepped towards the Mad King. Scorch's words were echoing the past, words he had heard many times before when he refused to meet with Lady Glow. Something was different, Scorch was different, and Wingston pressed him further.

"My Lord, the Queen insists. She's worried about you." Wingston said aloud to him.

The fire of the Mad King surged, the light of his eyes flickering, it was something Princess Celestia and Wingston had never seen before.

"He's my… son."

Princess Celestia and Wingston stood quietly. The Mad King body was beginning to tremble, his eyes widening with fear, and it was unsettling to them.

"Which son, my Lord?" Wingston asked.

"I won't let it take you." The Mad King whispered.

Stepping closer to Wingston, Princess Celestia leaned down to him.

"Take who? What is he talking about?" Princess Celestia whispered.

"I… I do not know. If he is remembering the past, this is not something we shared."

Wingston wasn't sure what the Mad King had meant, these words were never uttered to him, and it almost seemed like he was in a sort of trance. Looking back to Princess Celestia, Wingston wasn't sure of what to say, but she encouraged him to try, having noticed this change in him. Wingston stepped forward once more, with Princess Celestia standing right behind him in case things turned bad.

"Be careful, Wingston."

"Who? Who wanted to take your son, my Lord?" Wingston asked.

The Mad King's face turned vile, his flames suddenly flaring in anger, his eyes burning full of hate.

" _You_ will not take him from me!"

Princess Celestia's wings covered Wingston, casting a protective sphere around them as the Mad King's fire consumed the cavern, throwing the sand like waves before turning to glass and masking the walls with soot. A beam of magic fired from the Mad King's horn, slicing through the air, cutting through the stone walls like butter before his magic imploded, the blast knocking him from his hooves and throwing him back against the rock walls.

"Burn them! Burn them all! I will burn all of their treasures!" The Mad King roared.

Princess Celestia and Wingston looked on as the Mad King wrestled with himself, shouting angrily into the air, blasting fire in all directions, arguing with some pony they could not see or hear. Staggering away from them, the Mad King swung his head with great force against the rock wall leaving a sizeable crack with in it.

"Stop! Stop this, my Lord!" Wingston shouted in concern.

Princess Celestia refused to lower her shield to allow Wingston to approach him. They looked on watch the Scorch mercilessly slam his head against the rock wall, commanding the voices to stop. Painful grunts escaped from his hoarse cries, his wails of torment rang through the cavern, as his fire was slowly faded from his body. Swaying on the spot, his flames flickering from his body, the Mad King released a wild cry that caused his flames to roar back to life. With his fiery persona once more established, Scorch nearly collapsing to the ground , catching himself half way and struggling to catch his breath.

Wingston approached the edge of the sphere, attempting to get through to the Mad King, but Princess Celestia still refused to lower her shield.

"My Lady, I have no right to ask you put yourself in harm's way, but I ask that you allow me to." Wingston said quickly.

"Wingston, he is beyond our help. His madness is finally taking its toll, there isn't anything left, but his fractured memories that haunt him now."

"I am what is left of a life he once had, however small and insignificant I may be to him now, I can still be there for him. As his friend." Wingston replied almost pleadingly.

Princess Celestia knew better than the lower her shield, but felt such sympathy for Wingston and his plight that she allowed her sphere to dissipate. Wingston quickly limped towards the fallen Mad King, as Princess Celestia followed closely behind. The Mad King flared his fire, preventing Wingston from coming too close to him, trying to stand once again to not allow Celestia to stand over him.

"Scorch, what has happened to you?" Wingston asked.

The Mad King refused to answer, it was clear that he was in a lot of pain, not only from the wounds he inflicted upon himself but something internal. Unable to keep himself upright, the Mad King slumped against the side of the cave wall for support, breathing heavily, as his flames flared from each breath.

"My time here has only weakened me… temporarily. Do not fool yourselves into thinking that I am too weak to destroy either of you if I desire." The Mad King threatened.

Princess Celestia watched the Mad King's flames rage, flaring, trying to sustain itself, refusing to go out. She had seen this once before, during a time when Scorch was just as vulnerable as he was now.

"You're dying, Scorch." Princess Celestia said slowly.

Wingston looked up at her, quickly back at the Mad King, having just realized this as well. The Mad King was struggling to keep himself kindled with fire, but it seemed more and more difficult each time.

"I… am… the King." Scorch mumbled.

Scorch's smile was returning, his ragged wheezing turned to strained laughter ringing off the walls of the tavern at the prospect of his own demise. Through sheer will power the Mad King forced himself to his hooves, standing tall once again, staring down Celestia with a spiteful gaze. There was no anger or disgust in Princess Celestia's eyes now. It was only pity for a fallen King and his failing health.

"All I need… is more fire…" Scorch stated. "Once I am free of this place. I will absorb the fires beneath Equestria and sustain myself again."

"That same fire from the mountain is what has caused this, Scorch. Your withered, broken body is failing you, slowly but surely. You'll just be delaying the inevitable." Princess Celestia stated.

"I am strong enough to end you, Celestia! Make no mistake that I-"

A sudden magical force emanated from Princess Celestia's horn, knocking the Mad King back and having him collapse to the ground once again. Her attack was not all that powerful, but it proved enough that the Mad King was not capable of backing up his threats anymore.

"We did not come here to fight, Scorch. Tell us where your sons are and we will be on our way." Princess Celestia told him.

The Mad King refused to speak, his pride had been wounded, his power failing, and now had to contend to the whims of his enemy.

"My Lord," Wingston began. "Where is Smolder?"

Turning to them, the Mad King's malicious smile reappeared.

"What do I care?"

Princess Celestia and Wingston watched as the Mad King leaned his head back to laugh. Lowering his head, Scorch was face to face with Smolder again. A dark void surrounded them, only the crackle of Scorch's flames was heard. Smolder's face was full of sadness and pain, it was how he looked the last time he had seen him, and it actually hurt the Mad King to see him this way.

From the depths of that void, the Elder Dragon Char emerged, its scales upon its breast searing with fire creeping up its throat. Try as he might, the Mad King could not get to his hooves, he could defend his son from the dragon. Char's mouth opened, the world was engulfed in fire and Smolder disappeared within its flames.

In his anger the Mad King threw himself into the fires where Smolder once was. He was met with an image of himself, without the scars, without the uncontrolled fire, and the anger that this unsullied version carried upon its face.

Massive dragon claws slammed down beside the Mad King, the Great Dragon Char looming over him. There was a force pulling the Mad King away from this vision of himself, being drawn back into the dragon's embrace, as his duplicate growing further and further away.

From up above the Great Dragon Char's mouth opened wide, striking down upon the Mad King and consuming him.

Princess Celestia and Wingston looked on, the Mad King lost in a daze.

"It's as I said, Wingston, his mind in fracturing and he his losing grip on reality." Princess Celestia said solemnly.

"Even so, I feel that-"

Wingston was interrupted by a sudden blast of fire that surged from one of the tunnels. Princess Celestia horn flashed, shielding both her and Wingston from flames, as it flourished around them and consuming Scorch.

With a flap of her wings the magical shield expanded, pushing the fire away from them as the Twins appeared rushing towards her. Wick leaped into the air while Pyre charged her from the ground, both ready to blast another torrent of fire at her. With a quick blast of magic, Celestia knocked Wick back out of the air, before nimbly sidestepping Pyre and tripping him up with her hoof. Flourishing her wings, Princess Celestia readied herself to fight, when a familiar voice rang through the cavern.

"Princess Celestia!"

It was unbelievable sight to behold as Twilight and her friends, along with Princess Sapphire and Daring Do emerged from the tunnel quickly to meet with her. The Twins were getting back to their hooves, but every pony was quick to block them from trying to attack Princess Celestia again.

"Cool it, guys. This is Princess Celestia, she's on our side." Applejack scolded Wick.

"Step away from our father!" Pyre demanded of her.

"I promise you that I have not harmed him, but these wounds were inflicted upon himself by _himself_." Princess Celestia stated.

The Twins were not ready to back down just yet, their manes were still flaring, trying to get closer to Princess Celestia. Rainbow Dash flew up in front of Pyre to cut him off while Applejack did the same for Wick.

"News flash! That's the Mad King, the pony that made your guy's life miserable, remember? Why are you trying to defend him." Rainbow Dash said to them.

"He is our father. That should be reason enough." Pyre replied.

Wingston struck his metal staff against the stone floor, gathering every pony's attention.

"Has _any_ pony, currently here, seen Smolder?" Wingston asked aloud.

The Twins were first to look around the cavern, every other pony shook their heads no before looking towards Wick and Pyre having been told that they would find him here.

"Did you not say that Smolder would be here?" Princess Sapphire asked sounding disappointed.

"He was! We left him here with father!" Pyre insisted.

"The Mad King told us that Smolder went to face the Storm." Princess Celestia told them.

A cloud of black smoke once more billowed from the Mad King, his flames mounting once again, rising to his hooves unhindered and with ease. The fire from the Twins had given him enough of a spark to rekindle himself once again. His burning red eyes seemed focused, full of anger and hatred again. The heat of his flames caused every pony to step back, shielding their eyes from the intensity of the light his fire casted. Pieces of the Mad King's hide fell away, burning upon the ground like paper, and the roar from his inferno echoed throughout the cavern. The Mad King's gaze shot towards the Twilight and her friends, there was fear about them, but they stood bravely ready to face him. Princess Sapphire's eyes met the Mad King's, even from all the heat his fire created, she felt a chill run through her.

"Now then," The Mad King hissed turning towards Princess Celestia. " _Who_ was going to _die_?"


	55. Chapter 55: Addressing Royal Problems

"What do you mean she just disappeared?"

Princess Luna walked briskly down the corridor with Discord slithering through the air beside her. Word had reached Canterlot from the Ashen Fields that Princess Celestia and Royal Advisor Wingston had suddenly disappeared during an unexplainable event that took place near the Obelisks.

While no pony had any real answers to what exactly happened, every pony felt that the simple answer was that they had been pulled into the Void as well.

"A better explanation would be that every pony was simply pulled into the Void. How? I haven't the slightest idea, but we should assume that it is nothing good." Discord informed her.

Reaching the throne room, Private Nightshade and Private First Class Cosmic opened the doors to allow them to proceed. Several politician ponies quickly approached Princess Luna to inform her of the issues that will arise with Princess Celestia's continued absence and the steps to lessen the impact as much as possible.

"Suspend all of Princess Celestia's meetings indefinitely. I will handle all of her routine duties for the time being. Let us get ahead of this as much as possible before my sister's absence becomes a serious problem." Princess Luna commanded.

The politician ponies were quick to disperse, each with their own responsibilities to attend to. Princess Luna climbed the stairs to the throne where her sister normally resided, knowing that it was her responsibility to lead in Celestia's stead.

"Celestia's disappearance is most inconvenient, if not, ill timed." Discord mentioned.

"Your insight into this matter is most enlightening, Discord" Princess Luna remarked sarcastically.

"Celestia has called for a meeting with all the Lords and Ladies of Equestria to convince them of this plan to open the portals to the Void. It will be your job to convince them of this now."

The color in Princess Luna's face drained rather quickly.

"Surely, some pony else can make such a case." Princess Luna replied nervously.

"It has to be you or the meeting is off and don't call me Shirley." Discord informed her.

Princess Luna reflected on what a daunting task this would be. Having to address every pony, every leader of Equestria, and convince them of their intentions of opening a portal to the Void where a ancient evil resided.

Discord could sense the apprehension Princess Luna was having towards the whole thing.

"Fear not, Princess of the Night, Celestia had intended a detailed report from every pony today on everything concerning the Void. You will not be without some understanding of what we're up against."

At this time the door at the other end of the throne room opened, revealing Private Nightshade stepping in.

"Princess Luna? You have… guests." Private Nightshade announced sounding unsure.

The doors of the throne room slid open revealing a very unique sight.

"Jungle Ponies?" Discord questioned looking surprised.

Chieftain Talon stepped into the throne room with his large staff adorned with several pony skulls clattering against one another and wore a ghoulish mask etched in gold. He was escorted by two of his honor guards that wore similar ghoulish masks etched in silver carrying large curved swords at their sides. Their appearance would have been the most fascinating aspect of their arrival, but what followed them was even more eye opening. For what followed them was a creature, skin olive black, noticeable markings upon its arms, and its hair drifted behind colored by proud purple stardust.

The Chieftain stopped before the throne. Removing his golden mask revealing his dark, painted face.

"I am Chieftain Talon, descendant of the Wakanda tribe and leader of the jungle ponies. We have come here at the behest of our heart of the jungle, to aid in rescuing the Flame King."

Private Nightshade and Private First Class Cosmic were still standing in the doorway staring after the creature in amazement. There was an etherealness about it that made her seem otherworldly, which was exactly where it had come from.

"I present to you, the heart of the jungle, the Arcana from the Void, Tier."

What followed could only be described as stunned silence from both Discord and Princess Luna. Chieftain Talon could sense the awkwardness of the situation, although unsure of why it was, he cleared his throat hoping to salvage first impressions.

"Did our letter not reach you in time, Princess Celestia?"

"Apologies, I am not Princess Celestia." Princess Luna mentioned drawing her gae away from Tier.

Chieftain Talon looked rather confused, biting his bottom lip while looking at the jumbled creature known as Discord anxiously.

"Is… this a trap then?" Talon asked slowly.

"What? Oh! No! No, of course not! Please forgive me, my name is Princess Luna. I am Celestia's younger sister." Princess Luna stated quickly.

Discord slithered up to Tier, prompting Talon's two honor guards to cut him off with their curved blades unsheathed. With a quick snap of his claws the blades turned to large stems of licorice that bobbed and sagged in their hooves. The honor guards were taken aback by this startling power of magic.

"This is Discord, he is rather impulsive and lacks any sort of personal space." Princess Luna added. "But he will not harm any of you, I assure you."

"Discord, Master of Chaos, a pleasure to meet you Mr. Talon. I applaud your choice in decor." Discord introduces himself poking at the skulls upon the staff.

Tier held her arms close to herself. Looking rather unsure of Discord. His eyes slowly growing larger as he stared at her, to the point where they outgrew their sockets and swollen like balloons. Discord's eyes popped, giving every pony a start, and watched as new eyes rolled out from inside his head.

"I sense an incredible amount of Black Magic within you. It's simply intoxicating." Discord told her.

Tier flushed at his words, taking it as a compliment, and smiled through her hands as she covered her face from embarrassment. Chieftain Talon intervened almost immediately, holding up his staff to create a buffer between the two of them. A look of jealousy strewn about his face.

"We mean no disrespect, Princess Luna, but our reason for being here was to discuss the Obelisks and the accident that has occurred with Princess Celestia." Chieftain Talon said in a matter of fact tone.

"Accident? What sort of accident are you referring to?" Princess Luna asked sounding alarmed.

"The Obelisks within our jungle had become active for a time, we are unclear what had caused it, but the result being that three ponies by the names of Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Daring Do have been pulled into the Void."

Discord looked very intrigued as Princess Luna grimaced at the idea of this becoming a more serious problem than before.

"We've had a similar issue, Chieftain Talon, my sister, Princess Celestia has been pulled into the Void as well with a mutual friend of ours. The Obelisks in the Ashen Fields had a similar event take place." Princess Luna informed him.

Discord leaned in closer to Tier, his eye stretching out towards her as if to examine her in greater detail as she nervously drifted away back from him.

"What exactly are you?" Discord asked curiously.

"Introductions can be put aside until later, Discord, I'd like to know if my sister and the others are alright and if they are in any danger." Princess Luna stated.

Tier floated around Discord, hovering a few steps out from Chieftain Talon as she bowed her head to Princess Luna respectfully.

"As it was said before, I am Tier, an Arcana from the place you call the Void. Something or someone has tried to open the portals to Kingdom of Naught, the Void as it were, from the inside. Although, the attempt was halted before it could come to fruition. In the event that such a thing would happen, the Obelisks discharges what energy is still has and in this case was capable of minor transportation of the closest living matter that surrounded it." Tier explained to her.

"Could we replicate this? Could we potentially pull them back out?" Discord asked sounding curious.

"These ponies that have been pulled into the Void would need to be standing near the Obelisks and we would have to coordinate with all four sets of Obelisks in this world to temporarily power them before cutting it short. Even then, we don't know how much power was used to cause the feedback to happen and it could potentially hurt whomever is near them this time around." Tier explained.

"Too many variables and probabilities. It will easier to simply open the portals and have every pony come through at once." Princess Luna stated.

"So you plan to go through with this?" Chieftain Talon asked.

"It was my sister who was to address the Summit tomorrow and convince the leaders of Equestria to follow through with this plan, but now that task has fallen to me." Princess Luna explained to them.

"We have a lot of questions that need answers. Would your purpleness be willing to assist us?" Discord asked admiring Tier's stardust like hair.

"O-Of course!" Tier blurted out anxious. "It's my our, the fault of the Arcana, that have placed this burden upon you and have placed your friends in danger."

"What kind of danger?" Discord questioned her.

* * *

Trudging through the black sand of the Fields of Ouroborus, several Void Walkers made their way to what was left of the castle of Naught. The field was littered with debris, upturned earth and stone from the battle that was waged with the Last of the Arcana. Among this lot, was Malachi, leading this group to what would be their final moments in this world.

Castle Naught's giant metal doors had been stripped away, leaving torn fragments of metal framing the entrance. The castle was now in utter ruin, with not a ceiling or wall that was left unscathed from the battle that was waged. Bolts of lightning flashed overhead, the Storm groaning in it power as Null stood at the precipice of where the castle had been cleaved in two.

There were hundreds of Void Walkers, it was never clear on how much of an offering would sate the hunger of the Storm. Ten of the bravest and most content of the Void Walkers ready to make the necessary sacrifice for those that still feared the unknown.

Malachi and the other Void Walkers kneeled before their Dark King, prepared to make the journey that so many of them had taken before.

Null stretched forth his hand, the Storm churned, funneling its way down towards three of the Void Walkers on the left and consuming them within its fury. Their mangled cries of sheer pain and terror echoed throughout the world before their screams were abruptly cut short and nothing but their tattered robes remained. Brave as they were, the Void Walkers whispered to themselves the prayers of which gave them hope if not courage to face the darkness. Even Malachi found himself shaking and repeating these words.

"Glow, cast your light upon us. Show us fire, bring light to our darkened world, and give us reason to hope."

These words, riddled with fear as they may be, gave the Dark King pause.

"Lords of Light, find us in our darkest hour, cleanse us in your fire, to which all darkness must yield."

"These Lords of fire you speak of…"

Null's words washed over them like an icy wind. None but Malachi dared to raise his head to meet the sullen gaze of their Dark Lord.

"Where are they?"

Malachi and the other Void Walkers remained silent. The groan of thunder rolled over head, Null stepping forth to speak with the Void Walkers.

"Tell me where I can find these Lords of Light and I will spare the rest of your kind."

Malachi need not look at the other Void Walkers, for he knew that they were all gazing at him to speak. To tell of the two ponies, without fire, that also sought these Lords of Light. Their frightened whispers, begging for Malachi to speak, to spare themselves the horrors of the Storm. Yet, Malachi remained silent. For none of the other Void Walkers had heard the promises the ponies had made to him and it gave him hope.

The silence had given Null his answer, raising his arm once more to the Void Walkers the Storm churned in its hunger.

"I have seen not these Lords of Light, but other creatures that resemble them!" A Void Walker cried cowering before the Dark Lord.

"Asher!" Malachi hissed threateningly.

Malachi felt the arms of the other Void Walkers wrap around him, forcing him down and holding him at bay. Null's arm lowered once again, stepping towards the frightened Void Walkers known now as Asher.

"Where are they?"

"Asher!" Malachi struggled against the other Void Walkers.

"Beneath the fields of Ouroboros rests a network of tunnels, the creatures use them to walk unseen. These Lords of Light may hide beneath the world to escape your sight." Asher told him in frightened whispers.

"Return to the ruins of your world and know that you have been spared."

Malachi felt the Void Walkers release their grip upon him. Every Void Walker bowed low before their Dark King, whispering their thanks to him. Null turned away, walking back towards the cliff face while the Void Walkers gathered themselves and began to retreat back from the castle.

"Is this all it took?" Malachi asked aloud. "A single ray of hope that we would so quickly trade to the darkness? To this monster? A creature of our own making? That we would sacrifice the very beings that have come to save us?"

Malachi's words had gotten the Void Walkers to stop, turning to see Malachi standing atop the ruined steps that Null once stood. His eyes full of anger and rage at his own people. Null had stopped short, turning his head slowly at the words Malachi had spoken.

"These beings are not responsible for our sins! Yet you have willingly given them to this creature! A creature that despises you, who has enslaved your, that has toyed with our lives, who treats us like cattle! We cannot allow it take the one thing we have left in this world! The ability to choose! To choose to stand against this tyrant, through our silence, through our resolve, through our lives, it has done nothing but demand our cooperation and until now we have defied it!"

Malachi turned towards the Dark King Null, a fire burning in its yellow eyes that Null had seen in the Arcana once before.

"We have the light of the stars residing within us, hearts given to us by our creator, we have the love of Azimuth flowing through us! While you, this empty vessel with no heart and no love, who has tried to destroy everything good in this world! You have destroyed nothing! I have seen hope in the eyes of these beings, the love that they have for one another, and it has more power than anything you can ever hope to achieve!"

Null was now walking towards Malachi with the Storm roaring over head, but Malachi refused to stop. Turning back towards his kin who watched on in silence, he pleaded to them once more.

"We still have the power to make our world free from this creature! To make our world beautiful! Let us use this power to make this life worth living again! In the name of all those that have died before us, let us continue to stand against this creature and-"

A large searing spike coated with fiery embers had pierced through Malachi's chest. Streams of neon green fluid dripped upon his robes, weakly touching the spike in his chest. Null lifted Malachi into the air as the Storm surged through the spike and began to devour him. The Void Walkers looked on in silence, watching the shreds of Malachi's cloak drifting through the raging winds of the Storm.

"I have a message for you all as well."

* * *

The blistering heat that emanated from the Mad King forced every pony to step back. His flames no longer seemed to leap from him, but more so devoured what was left of his hide. The roaring flames were drowned out by the malicious laughter the Mad King had at the opportunity to take revenge on the ponies that had banished him here.

"Which one of you wants to feel their skin melt from their bones first? Or would you like to all die screaming together?" The Mad King proposed to them.

Princess Sapphire was quick to place herself infront if every pony, her horn brimming with magic ready to defend the others from the Mad King's fury.

"You are Lord Tundra's wailing infant, aren't you? Tell me, does your idiot father still enjoy his ice sculpting?" The Mad King questioned her.

Almost immediately Princess Sapphire let loose a blast of ice at the Mad King. Her frost was imbued with magic as it struck him with such force it shattered the rock bed beneath him throwing a thick layer of fog around them.

Princess Sapphire's cloudy mane had turned stormy, growing dark, and swirling with ice. Her rage over the Mad King's words had caused her to lash out quickly. From the fog the red flames of the Mad King raged against the clouds. Seemingly unfazed by her attack, the Mad King stepped forth, crushing the shattered rock bed beneath his hooves and grinning at her. Twilight carefully took hold of Princess Sapphire's hoof, urging her to step back with the rest of them.

"You've got heart, Princess, but you will come to fear my fire just like every pony else." The Mad King threatened.

His voice shaking the very cavern. The Mad King set his sights on Princess Celestia, stepping towards her, flaring his mane, causing his fire to screech and twist into the air. Raising her wings to defend herself, as well as every pony there, Princess Celestia stared down the Mad King waiting for him to attack.

Surprisingly, the first move made by any pony were the Twins who stepped before their father. The Mad King stared down at his sons with a look of aggravation and frustration.

"What have you done with Smolder?" Pyre demanded.

The fire of the Mad King roared at the name. "He is no concern of mine anymore."

"There is no reasoning with him. Both of you need to stand aside." Princess Celestia warned them.

"We need him. There are creatures within this place that are beyond our ability to face." Pyre told her.

"I will not side myself with band of mismatched vagabonds! Let them wander the darkness for the rest of eternity, but I will have my revenge!" The Mad King spat.

"You must see how ludacris this is, father, we cannot allow ourselves-"

The Mad King struck Pyre across the face, knocking him aside. Wick instinctively lashed out at the sight of his brother being struck, but was stopped short by the sudden blast of fire spewed from the Mad King's mouth knocking Wick from his hooves and threw him across the cavern.

Pyre held the side of his head, his sense rattled from the blow, feeling the enormous heat of his father's flames tower of him.

"You will do well to remember that I am your King. Stand against me again and you will die with the others." The Mad King warned.

"Smolder," Pyre began getting to his hooves. "is the King now. You would do well to remember that."

This time it was Princess Celestia that intervened. A beam of magic erupted from her horn, striking the Mad King and knocking him back to stave off his assault upon the Twins. Daring Do, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack rushed towards Wick to see how badly he had been hurt while the others kept their distance from the battle just beginning.

The Mad King's horn sparked with magic, his anger having been brought to its boiling point, but every pony had seen enough.

Twilight, Rarity, Princess Sapphire, and Princess Celestia had all cast separate spells that impacted the Mad King sending him reeling away. Spike rushed towards Pyre, pulling his leg to bring him away from the Mad King's rage while he was distracted.

Pyre pulled his arm away from him, charging his father with Wick leaping over Spike to join in. Together the Twins tackled their father, driving him hard against the rock wall. The Mad King took a swing, striking nothing but air as the Twins drove in hit after hit upon him.

"All we ever did, we did to make you proud, father! We served you, feared you, all to be accepted by you!"

The Mad King roared in anger over the insolence of his sons. As his voice shook the cavern, his fire mounting and glassing the sand beneath his hooves. His flames washed over the Twins who were pushed back against their father's rage, digging their hooves in deep to withstand his fury. The tension was coming to a boiling point when a sudden realization had come across every pony, the cavern was still shaking.

Even the Mad King looked upwards witnessing the trembling of the ground around them. The low roar of the Storm could be heard echoing many miles up above them and it brought the Mad King's fire to heel. Anger had turned to silent fear at the groaning, churning Storm that echoed into the cavern. Several minutes had passed, not a breath could be heard among any pony before the quaking and the sounds of the Storm had grown quiet.

 **"Remnants of Naught, I have messages for you all. To the Arcana that has betrayed me, I will find you, and I will be set free. To the Void Walkers, you have been spared my wrath, for you have told me where to find these Lords of Light. To these intruders, the ones who have come to save these flame ponies, hiding within the tunnels beneath our world, you will not be spared."**

The voice of the Storm seemed so close. Even so deep beneath the world it was as if he was just beyond the walls of the cavern.

 **"And to the Fire King known as Smolder, you should know that the last Flame Pony to stand against me was devoured mercilessly. With its last words it gave me a warning, that another would rise to challenge me, but I am not impressed. Enjoy these final moments of your life, for when I step into your world, all will know that it was you who failed to protect them and that your title as King meant nothing at all."**

The Mad King looked down to his sons, who looked back at him in unspoken worry, if not for Smolder, but for the activities of the Storm.

"Did you manage to find out what has happened on the surface or have you spent your time harboring these fools?" The Mad King demanded.

The Twins lowered their heads a bit, it was enough to let the Mad King know that they had forgone their original plan to help out every pony. With a snort of flames, the Mad King turned his back to his sons, returning to the raised rock bed. It appeared to every pony that the Mad King had reconsidered starting a fight at the risk of being discovered by the Storm up above.

"Now… is the time to put our differences aside, for we have a common enemy to face." Wingston attempted to delegate.

"Don't even joke of such things, I will never side myself with this rabble of helpless ponies. If not for my foolish sons they would have been victims of the Void's creatures." The Mad King spat.

"You cannot hope to overpower the Storm, Scorch, not even you can withstand its might, not in your current condition." Wingston told him.

"I defeated the Great Dragon Char without the help of any pony. With my strength alone, a power here to unattainable by you lesser beings. I was able to bend it to my whims, subjected it, and made it kneel before Storm does not search for me for it is too weak." The Mad King boasted.

"No pony can overpower an Elder Dragon through sheer strength alone." Princess Sapphire claimed.

"And yet I brought to its knees." The Mad King spat at her. "Do us all a favor and keep that pretty little mouth shut, your father isn't here to give you the attention you so desire and I will not humor you mine any further."

Sapphire's temper flared again. This time her eyes did not flash blue, instead they were glazed over by colors that resembled the aurora borealis. Her magic mimicked such colors as well. The Mad King locked eyes with her, his body suddenly running cold as her magic overwhelmed him in that moment.

Princess Sapphire found herself standing before the Great Dragon Char, dwarfed by its size, meer inches away from its snout. Its thunderous breath shook the very air around her. Opening its mouth the Great Dragon Char roared, blasting her back as she found herself flying into the arms of Pinkie Pie and Rarity who had broken her fall. The Mad King stirred, seemingly groggy from whatever Princess Sapphire had done. The Twins stayed near their father, if only to ensure that his rebuttal would not reach the others without going through them first.

"He knew my father, he knows of our kin, so he must have known about our powers." Princess Sapphire whispered in shock.

The Mad King was breathing heavily, his eyes burning wildly as he glared at Princess Sapphire with such seething hatred. Princess Sapphire was able to get to her hooves, still looking upon the Mad King in disbelief at what she had seen.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" Wingston asked quickly, limping to her side.

"What a mad king he is, to have tried and failed, to do something so foolish on his own." Princess Sapphire said almost sympathetically.

Every pony looked at Princess Sapphire and then at the Mad King, unsure of what she was speaking of.

"My lady, what did you do?" Wingston implored her.

"It is not what I have done, but what he has done. It is impossible to over power an Elder Dragon through sheer strength alone, but he found a way. Our spiritual readings are meant to read the minds of others, it takes years of practice before being allowed to use it on another pony, and it always performed as a gift to other members of royalty." Princess Sapphire told them.

The Mad King snorted in anger. Rising to his hooves.

"He must have been desperate, to have tried to invade the mind of an Elder Dragon, and the price cost him his own. Two minds shattered together, in one body, that is the madness of the flame pony king." Princess Sapphire stated.

Every pony gazed at the Mad King. Speechless as to what would drive a pony to try and control an Elder Dragon with a spell that could potentially destroy the two minds.

"Was it worth, Scorch? To lose everything? Your mind, your family, your kingdom? What was so important that you sacrifice all of this?" Wingston asked him.

* * *

I had been walking across the black sand of Azimuth's Tomb, looking for where Azimuth's body lay, when Null's message had reached my ears. I stared up at the dark ceiling, knowing that his words were not to be taken lightly, but that my brothers had not been captured. At least not yet. I had been looking for Azimuth's body, but I was having trouble finding it. It was rather huge, a colossal giant was hard to miss, even in this big empty space. It took some time wandering around before I discovered two sets of hoofprints within the sand. Their origin led backwards, but I decided to move forward with them in the hope it leading me to my brothers.


	56. Chapter 56: Path of Fire

The Fields of Ouroborus laid fractured at Null's feet. His hand digging deep into the black sand, feeling the grains pass through the tears of his husk like skin. The Echoes in their silent march dotted the area, wavering in ghostly smoke before fading back into the nothingness. Lifting his arms out before him, churning not only the Storm, but the ground around him. The familiar rasp of his voice had disappeared, a deeper and darker one had replaced it. The words Null spoke sounded like hollow drums laced over with a low hum that vibrated the air around him. It was known only as Black Speech, a language used only by the Eternal Masters, and never uttered without hate. The Storm thundered high over head, bolts of lightning struck the Fields of Ouroborus, leaving not but scorched earth in its wake.

From the black sand, the Echoes began to emerge, their ghostly figures struggling to find footing. Hundreds if not thousands of these ghostly beings had risen. The black sand twisting up their limbs, making them solid and allowing them to sprint across the fields, and some even crawling with their disfigured appearance, and sliding into the crevasses of the world. Malformed and without light, these Echoes bore large clubs for hands while others derived blades for arms. Their faces twisted in unimaginable pain.

"Find these intruders! Bring me these Lords of Light!"

The ocean of black sand swelled like waves, hoards of these Echoes charged out from the dunes, heeding their master's call.

* * *

The Mad King towered above all, flames hued to a blood red, his rage having passed its limits and bringing him to the points of madness where silence spoke volumes. What was there to be said? For the mind of the Mad King was not entirely his own, blended with that of an Elder Dragon, who was to say that anything that was spoken would reach either and how each would respond.

"All those years of endless mining for gold, your military state, your insistent solitude, was all in fear of occuring the Elder Dragon's wrath? Why in all the kingdoms of Equestria did you not tell any pony? How could you be so arrogant to think that you could defeat such a creature on your own?" Wingston questioned him.

"My reasons are my own. I no longer take council with you, my most trusted royal advisor." The Mad King hissed.

"I've taken council with you for many years, as your advisor and as your friend. Deny it if you must, but you were once able to show empathy for your fellow ponies. The events of Black Winter had always weighed heavy in your mind and heart. You blame yourself for not outright slaying the Orc when it first made itself known, wishing to have spared the Kingdom of such a catastrophe. I can only gather that this influenced your decision on solving this problem with the Elder Dragon alone." Wingston determined.

"You know nothing of what happened." The Mad King muttered in disgust.. "You think I did not feel the eyes of my ponies glaring at me for failing them? That I was not reminded of the lives lost that day seeing orphaned children weeping for the parents in the weeks that followed? Do not claim to understand my reasons, Wingston, you were welcomed into my kingdom, but you were never part of our family."

Without words or flames, the Mad King drew himself away from every pony and proceeded to head towards a tunnel leading from the cavern. Wingston struck is staff hard against the rock floor, visibly angry at the Mad King for his words.

"Then explain it to me if you can! Tell me what I fail to understand! Why would Scorch, son of the Wise King Phoenix, turn away from every pony and everything he has ever loved to face this Elder Dragon alone?" Wingston demanded.

Flames from the Mad King poured out of him like water, it washed towards every pony prompting Rarity, Twilight, Princess Sapphire, and Princess Celestia to produce magical shields in their defense. It did not seem that this fire was intended as an attack, more so it seemed like the rage and bitterness of the Mad King had finally begun to seep out.

"Give him to me." The Mad King replied ominously.

Wingston was not expecting such a response. He stood within Princess Celestia's magical shield gazing after the Mad King wondering what he had meant.

"That, my friend, is what the Great Dragon Char had demanded of me. My son or it would burn all of Equestria."

The Mad King turned to look at Wingston, his eyes blazing from his fury. There was no need to explain which son he was referring to, for the Mad King hated one of his sons in particular far more than any other. This hate the Mad King had for young Smolder, the hate this Elder Dragon felt for the son that spurred King Scorch to challenge him, it was because Scorch loved him and refused to give him up.

"You and every pony here stand there in your vocal judgment of my life. Claiming me mad for what I had done. I tell you that any parent would gladly stand against an Elder Dragon if it meant sparing the life of their child. Why would I ask any other pony, any other kingdom to risk the lives of their own sons and daughters for the life of my son? No, Wingston, I cannot explain this to you. A father you may be to my son, but his father you are not." The Mad King voice shook in anger.

The fires of his eyes flared wildly, his madness taking hold again. He strode towards Wingston, the Mad King's flames flourishing and scorching the sides of the cavern.

"By what right do you have to judge me? What right do any of you have? You and your precious ideals of friendship and harmony, none of it matters when the life of your child is being threatened! Damn the throne, damn the kingdom, the ponies, the fields, our future, and damn you Wingston!"

The Mad King towered over Wingston, a veil of magic separated him from his most trusted advisor. Even with all of his power, his crazed eyes, explosive flames, the madness of the king had fallen away for a short time and had spoken from his tormented heart.

"What sort of council would you have given me? What choices did I have? Would you told to seek help? To allow my son to grow up knowing that so many had lost their lives to this dragon? No, Wingston. If any pony was to be blamed for the fallout of my choices, it was going to be me." Scorch whispered painfully.

The fury of the Mad King had him trembling. Mere moments of such lucid thinking had disappeared, the rage within his burning eyes had returned, and the magic of his horn beginning to swell. There was a trembling that could be felt by every pony, but its origin proved to come from much further out. It seemed like the tremors were coming from all directions.

"Twilight…" Spike whispered sounding frightened.

Twilight put her arm around Spike, glancing at all the tunnels within the cavern, having heard the distant echoes of countless footsteps grow louder and closer with each passing moment. The flames of the Mad King had revealed the disfigured humanoid creatures several feet down the tunnel they had all come from. As if mindlessly running over one another trying to reach them, their twisted and pained faces were fixated upon them.

The Mad King turned to see this mob of monsters charging from the breach of the tunnel, clamoring towards him in a frenzy. With a rage filled roar the Mad King let loose a blast of magic that pierced through the mob, before expanding in a violent explosion that incinerated them in a flash. Even with such an incredible show of power the seemingly endless wave of creatures at the far end of the tunnel was racing back down the tunnel meet them again.

"What in the hay are those?" Applejack asked aloud.

From the opposing tunnel at the opposite side of the cavern a second wave of creatures had emerged, pouring out into the cavern like water. Princess Celestia's horn flashed a brilliant white light that expanded quickly in the direction of these creatures and vaporizing them on the spot. Yet, the creatures continued to pour through leaving the Twins to jump in and blast a torrent of fire back through to keep them at bay.

"Seal the tunnels!" Princess Celestia commanded.

Several spells shot off in different directions, collapsing the tunnels the creatures had come from and a couple that had not yet been infested.

"What are we going to do?" Princess Sapphire asked.

"Run!" Wingston shouted.

The eastern wall of the cavern has suddenly broke open, more of these Echoes had smashed their way through the solid rock attempting to reach them.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash were quick to meet these creatures, using their tremendous speed they kicked the lead Echoes backwards into the hoard knocking them all down. Every pony was shocked to see that the creatures trampled their fallen kin just to reach them. Applejack jumped in bucking the first few Echoes while Twlight and Rarity provided her with cover fire with several spells that shattered the creatures apart.

"There's too many of them!" Princess Sapphire called out.

The Twins watched Sapphires attempt to freeze over the new opening in the wall while the other ponies fought back the endless hoard of Echoes.

"We're leaving."

The Mad King's voice had floated over them as he passed by heading towards a particular tunnel that seemed free of the creatures. Wick and Pyre rushes towards their father looking rather torn.

"We can not just leave them, father." Pyre began. "With our help we stand a good chance of-"

"The Storm will not rest until we are found. We must take our leave before the Storm gets word of our discovery." The Mad King added.

"So we are runaway and leave them to fend off these creatures alone?" Wick asked.

"This is not a discussion!" The Mad King snapped. "You have no choice in this matter!"

The Twins looked upon their father, watching the flickering flames of his fire leap from him at the anger of his words. Looking towards one another, Wick and Pyre knew that their father was right.

"You're right father, there isn't choice." Pyre agreed with him.

"Goodbye, father." Wick said with a smile.

The Mad King watched his sons turn from him, racing back towards the others. Vengeful and hateful words were caught in his throat, the need to lash out at his sons were halted by a weight in chest. What little he had had been lost to him now, perhaps even forever with what sought after them.

Princess Celestia's magic swirled around her horn, slicing like ribbons through the air and cleaving the Echoes to pieces. The hole had become much larger from the insistent digging of the Echoes, their clubbed hands smashing away at the rock, arms shattering from the abuse. Pinkie Pie had Fluttershy loading up her party cannon with sizable rocks to fire back at the creatures while defending Princess Sapphire who struggled to contain them behind her ice wall.

Wick and Pyre mantled over the lot of them, charging head first into the stream of Echoes breaching the wall. Engulfed in a ball of fire, using their superior speed and strength to tackle through the brunt of them before releasing a torrent of fire that pushed the rest back.

A well placed shot with Pinkie Pie's party cannon struck the rock face above the breach, causing a sudden cave in to the tunnel. The momentary seal was enough to give every pony a moment to breath but it wasn't to last as the sound of digging could be heard again.

"The tunnels at the south entrance are our best chance of losing them." Pyre stated walking past every pony.

"The networks are vast, looping in on one another, branching off to hundreds of dead ends, drop offs, and other caverns." Wick noted.

"Are any of them not going to get us killed?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically.

"Just take the tunnels we run through and you'll live to run your mouth off another day." Wick replies.

The tunnels from the upper north side the Mad King had held at bay were suddenly broke open and began pouring out with Echoes. Pyre and Wick stood out front of the group of ponies with Princess Celestia and Princess Sapphire standing behind them ready to defend against this hoard.

A massive eruption of fire broke apart the ground beneath the Echoes, flames scorching them as they fell in the pits of fire. The cavern had been split, separating the Echoes from the rest of the ponies. The Mad King could be seen on the other side of the terrace, staring at his sons through the inferno that separated them. Teams of Echoes races into the fire of the Mad King, each failing to reach him before crumbling to ash at his hooves. Even with this division between them, the Twins could sense that their father had attempted to bridge some sort of message between them, if only for one brief moment.

"Make for the tunnels!" Pyre shouted quickly.

Princess Celestia magically lifted Wingston onto her back, gazing across the ravine to catch a glimpse of the Mad King walking through the flames into another tunnel, effortlessly scorching whatever Echo that attempted to maim him.

"Come, my Lady. Before it is too late." Wingston urged her.

Every pony followed the Twins into the southern tunnels of the cavern, the sounds of the Echoes breaking through the rock walls behind them were slowly fading away. Princess Celestia fired a magical spell at the rock ceiling overhead drawing a scorching line through the roof as the tunnel collapsed behind them.

The Twins led them down several tunnels, passing many more that seemed no different than any of the others, but none would question them. It almost seemed necessary to trust them now as it would be nearly impossible to find their way out of this maze like network in the dark.

"Where are we going?" Daring Do asked aloud.

"There are many places beneath this world that are harder to reach and more dangerous to traverse. If we're lucky, and we don't die trying to reach it, those creatures won't be able to reach us." Wick explained to them.

"That's very reassuring." Applejack muttered.

Sudden tremors were felt throughout the cave, quaking far more violent and thunderous than any time before. The tunnel itself was nearly shaking itself apart, causing every pony to lose their balance and cover their heads with hooves and magic from the falling rocks above. Almost like an explosion the tunnel was decimated from the force of the Storm driving its way through solid rock. Shearing the tunnel in two, having thrown every pony back and forwards from the blast.

The Twins along with Twilight, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity had been thrown from blast further down the tunnel. Princess Celestia, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been knocked backwards within the tunnel. Princess Sapphire and Wingston were nowhere to be seen, most likely having fallen into the pit the Storm had created driving itself through. What separated every pony now was the raging Storm that roared with thunder and groaned in power.

Bolts of lighting revealed Null descending through the Storm, floating between the two groups of ponies. The Twins were urging Twilight and the others to get to their hooves, almost begging them to run, as Null's gaze turned upon them.

"Lords of Light…"

"We need to run, now!" Wick hissed frightenedly.

"What about the others?" Twilight asked worryingly.

"It's after Pyre and I, your friends should be alright for now, so move it!"

The Twins bolted off down the tunnel, Twilight chased after them carrying Spike as Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity followed close behind. Null touched down into the tunnel, absorbing the Storm back into its body before lifting his hand after the Twins and having the Storm come exploding out of his palm to give chase.

A sudden blast of white magic erupted off of Null's back, causing him to stagger forward, the Storm quickly dispersing from his body to shield him from his attacker. Turning his gaze behind, Null could see a tall white pony standing before him, echoing of the flame pony that had stood against him before, but this one lacked fire.

Princess Celestia had merely stalled him for time, hoping to allow the Twins and the others to get away. Although, Null's attention was upon them, and Celestia did not like her odds defending the ponies here while trying to face down this creature. There was no sign of Wingston or Princess Sapphire, she hoped beyond hope that they had been separated with the others, but as Null started to raise his arm towards her she knew that there wasn't time to look for them. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do were already flying back down the tunnel with Applejack galloping close behind, Princess Celestia conjured a light shield at the birth of the broken tunnel before running after the others.

The Storm erupted from Null's arm striking hard against the light shield, the resistance of the shield kept the Storm at bay for a moment. Null pulled back his arm, withdrawing the Storm from the shield before violent throwing it back out and shattering it with a violent explosion. Null found himself dropping to a knee, supporting himself with one hand, unable to continue his command of the Storm to give chase after these fireless ponies. With the Storm racing back into Null's body, allowing him to lift himself from the ground, his attention turned once more to the tunnel the Twins had fled down, knowing that they were just minutes ahead of him.

* * *

 **Wingston had been knocked from Princess Celestia, having fallen into the sizable hole the Storm hard created tunneling its way through. Luckily, Wingston was still conscious, for the most part, to keep his wits about him and reach out his staff towards the darkness hoping to catch something. After a few moments of helplessly falling through the darkness, his staff made contact with wedge of stone that clipped itself upon the rings of Wingston's staff and had caught him of his fall. With his staff jutting out from the side of the cliff face, Wingston reached out with his good leg, catching his claws upon his staff and hung himself upside down. The experience was almost surreal for him in that moment, having not been upside down in several years, feeling as though he could spread out his wings and fly off into the darkness. Fortunately, Wingston knew of his limitations and simply shimmied his way towards the top of his staff where he climbed atop the outstretched rock to dislodge his staff.  
**

Not knowing if the others were alright or had fallen with him in the blast, Wingston knew he was on his own for the time being and needed to find a way to reach the others. Where ever they may be.

Looking about in the darkness, Wingston seemed to be searching for something in the darkness, truth be told it was just his nervousness of some pony was watching him from the shadows. With a mild amount of embarrassment, Wingston took a deep breath and screeched rather loudly and fell silent to listen. Just like any bat, darkness was not his enemy, but a companion. His sonar still proved to be a strong ally, as it mapped out the cliff face around him, revealing some rather small holes dug by some unknown creatures that would accommodate his size.

Having been in the company of flame ponies since his accident, there was little need for his sonar to see in the dark as to all the fire that surrounded him from morning, noon, and night. The tunneled holes were several feet above him, proving that he would need to scale the rock face to reach it if he hoped to get out of his current predicament. With another self conscious screech, Wingston could see a piece of rock jutting out over him, and using his staff he hooked on to it. Slowly pulling himself up the side of rockface, Wingston had only one thing on his mind, an answer for his friend.

* * *

Princess Sapphire lay amongst the ruins of the tunnel, far beneath the ground, her snowy mane softly wisping. The explosion had initially not knocked her out, having fallen into the pit as well, a piece of the falling rocks had slammed against her head and knocked her out cold. Luckily, when an ice pony experiences such a trauma, they revert back to their original ice covered state to help defend them against potential predators. In this case, her ice had broken her fall, and kept her from any serious injury.

When Princess Sapphire had finally begun to stir, she had no idea how long she had been out, or where she was for that matter. With her head pounding from the pain, her body aching from the fall, she collected herself as best she could trying to make sense of the world around her.

Everything around her seemed still, there wasn't a sound to be heard, and it only made her worried for the other ponies. It was clear that none had followed her done here and none had found her. Questions flooded her mind as to what had become of every pony else, but it did little to slow her resolve in finding every pony else. Using her magic, Princess Sapphire brightened the area to see that she had fallen into quite a large and empty cavern. It seemed almost abyss like, the floor was littered with the black sand that carpeted the rest of the world, but there was no other marker for her to see.

Walking a ways away, Princess Sapphire hoped that she would come to some sort of edge, a cliff or rock wall, so that she may at least start to map out her area. After some time she had found something most troubling. Hundreds if not thousands of footsteps had been left in the sand, the creatures from before, running droves, had been through here and perhaps heading towards the others. With only the direction of these creatures footsteps to go on, Princess Sapphire flared her mane and galloped off in the hopes of finding her friends. Leaping out from the behind the bend I flourished my flames ready to fight.

The footsteps had gone on for almost a mile in one singular direction, crossing nothing but black sand the entire way before coming to enormous rock wall and a tunnel that the footsteps funneled into. Sapphire barreled through the tunnel entrance. The further into the tunnel Sapphire had gotten, the more it revealed of what these creatures had come up against. Stopping for a moment, Sapphire noticed the footprints had become staggered, their were a set of hoofprints in the mix, but she could not tell how many. Scorch marks littered the walls, grooves of powerful magic scarred the rock face, and the smell of sulfur filled the air.

Further into the tunnel the smallest of lights plumed for just a moment, the echo of roaring flames traveled after it, and Sapphire knew what was up ahead. Focusing her magic, Sapphire prepared herself as she took off once more down the tunnel to face down the Mad King once again.

There was no telling how the Mad King would react, if her presence would only anger him further, or perhaps cause a moment of lucidness for him. To endure such a shattered mind was nearly unthinkable to her, as many ice ponies who suffer from much less severe mind linking spells are quickly tended to in the effort to minimize the impression it would leave upon them. The thoughts of avoiding the Mad King all together had crossed her mind, but wandering aimlessly through the tunnels did not seem like a better alternative. Surely, the Mad King would point her towards danger, if only to be amused at her 'feeble' attempts to stand against the Storm. Although, if he chose to end her then and there, she would need to find some way of overpowering him.

The light of the flames flared again, a bend in the tunnel bathed the tunnel in a fiery red, as the sound of rock breaking against rock echoed after it. Rounding the bend, Sapphire turned in, magic brimming from her horn and there in fire stood the King gazing back at her.

"Sapphire?" A familiar voice asked in disbelief.

There, standing just a few steps away, was Smolder with the same dumbfounded expression on his face that she had. Both our their manes were flourishing ready to fight, but together had lowered their guard at the sudden shock of finding one another. Sapphire's mind was racing, but it was unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

"Smolder?" Princess Sapphire asked in quiet disbelief. "Is… is that really you?"


	57. Chapter 57: Light Affirmation

The Echoes poured from the tunnels like water, their disregard for each other's safety prompted them to scamper and trample over themselves in the attempt to pursue the fleeing ponies. Princess Celestia's horn lighted the way for Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Daring Do to race back through the dark tunnels having no way of knowing where they were going other than away from the hordes of creatures giving chase. Each tunnel taken was out of necessity to avoid the sudden emergence of more of these Echoes that barreled headlong towards them from their current path.

It just so happened that the next tunnel chosen proved to be an outlet to a wide expanse, a cavern of sorts that proved to be no inherent problem for all those with wings, but proved to be unwelcomed by Applejack who tumbled out from the threshold. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash were quick to dive down after Applejack, catching her from her fall as Princess Celestia leaped from the mouth of the cave to glide out into the expanse away from their pursuers.

Without any concern or thought, the Echoes charged out from the breach, falling into the darkness of the cavern. Some even tried leaping at them, flailing their clubbed hands and bladed arms at them hoping to make contact. None were able to reach, eventually falling into the darkness below with the others.

"I'd like to say that this is the freakiest thing we'd seen today, but it's not." Applejack said.

"This would be one hay of a story to tell, but I don't think any pony would believe a single word of it." Daring Do mentioned.

"Let's not get too distracted, everypony. Wingston and Princess Sapphire were caught in the initial blast of the Storm. I can only hope that they are with one another and are relatively safe at this point. The other might not be so lucky." Princess Celestia said.

"Then let's find some place to land and start looking for them before the Storm finds them first." Rainbow Dash said.

Princess Celestia had opted to create some distance from these creatures, gliding across the cavern towards the direction they had come from. No pony was sure that any tunnel would lead back to the others, especially on the information the Twins had given them before on how expansive the tunnel network really was. After a time, every pony began their descent into the cavern, following the soft glow of Princess Celestia's horn, having lowered it intensity to avoid attracting anymore creatures to them. Touching down on the black sand once again, every pony found themselves without any sort of landmark to go on and stood within the darkness with no direction.

"Back to square one again." Daring Do mumbled.

"Let's just hope that it doesn't involve another Aswang or giant octopus again." Rainbow Dash added.

"What's an Aswang?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

The group of ponies walked on, taking turns explaining to Princess Celestia of their wild adventures upon entering the Void and the creatures they had come up against. Without truly knowing where they were going, no pony found it to be a good idea to rush into being lost and decided to let it find them if the time ever came.

For a moment it seemed like they had alluded their problems, but the sudden shifting of sand behind them prompted them to think again. A single Echo had found a means to reach the bottom without injury, whether it was the sheer number of bodies that had piled up, or perhaps an unseen tunnel somewhere else.

Rainbow Dash was first to respond. Exploding from the spot with a mighty thrust of her wings, Rainbow Dash drove her back legs straight through the creatures midsection and watched it tumble back into sand. A wisp of spirit seemed to shrivel from the remains, writhing in pain, before disappearing all together.

Two more Echoes had appeared within the light of Princess Celestia's horn. Applejack and Daring Do leaped is to the fight, easily overpowering the two Echoes and reducing them to dust. The thudding of footsteps and the increased sounds of shifting sands alerted them to the hoard that would soon be upon them. Without a clear direction to go, or even a suitable place to hide, every pony grouped together to prepare to fight off the hoard of creatures.

Increasing the brightness of her horn, Princess Celestia revealed countless Echoes storming towards them, mindlessly following their one task of capturing them by any means necessary.

A sudden flash of magic erupted from Princess Celestia's horn, producing several large spheres of light that scattered across the cavern with great haste. The impact of each sphere released an immense explosion of white searing heat that vaporized a large number of Echoes within the area. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash had their advantage of flying, allowing them to weed out the flanking Echoes that tried to catch them on off guard. Applejack places herself at the front of the hoard, working in tandem with Princess Celestia, bucking and striking any Echo that managed to evade Princess Celestia's attack.

Even with their combined efforts, everypony was beginning to grow tired. The Echoes proved that their sheer numbers and relentless assault would either overwhelm them, or wear them down to exhaustion before doing so anyways.

"We're getting nowhere fast." Applejack muttered.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash had backed off from their coordinated strikes, their arms and legs numb from the excessive hits against the molded sand. Princess Celestia was beginning to feel the strain of excessive spell casting and knew that she would need to summon an incredible amount of power to wipe the area clean of these creatures.

A high pitched shriek cut through the air, followed by a sudden burst of blackened spikes that flared across the black sand. The Echoes were skewered and impaled upon them as it fanned out across the cavern like rug being rolled open. The forest of spikes abruptly stopped a few feet away from Princess Celestia and everypony else. The Echoes writhed upon their spikes, attempting to get free, but slowly deteriorated back into the black sand. Wisps of black smoke streamed from the forest of spikes, withering away and retreating from every pony. Within the darkness of the cavern, a faint hint of blue could be seen softly pulsing.

"What is that?" Princess Celestia questioned the sight.

"Hey," Rainbow Dash began. "That glowy stuff kind of looks familiar."

"Let's check it out." Daring Do suggested.

Daring Do was already flying off towards the glow, with everypony else following after her. Growing closer, Rainbow Dash had good reason to find that glow familiar. Doubled over in the sand, arms trying to support her weight, was an Arcana resembling Tier attempting to catch its breath. Only Princess Celestia found this creature to be extraordinary, mystified by its very existence, but the other ponies had already gone through it before.

"Are you alright, sugar?" Applejack asked.

"What's a… sugar?" Mira asked out of breath.

"Don't let Pinkie Pie hear you say that." Rainbow Dash added.

"You're an Arcana, aren't you?" Daring Do asked whipping out her journal. "You're… let me see now… Mira, right?"

"How do you know my na-"

Mira cut herself short. Lifting her head to look at every pony she found herself locking eyes with a ghost. While Princess Celestia was not a flame pony, nor did she have the same physical traits as Queen Sunbeam, her white mane and gentle face gave an exhausted Mira quite a shock. Several emotions shot through her, fear, joy, remorse, happiness, and even humiliation, but she was able to recognize that this was not her lost friend.

Princess Celestia could see how mesmerized the Arcana was with her, while unsure of exactly why, she found herself spearheading introductions.

"I am Princess Celestia, this is Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Daring Do. Are we to thank you for your assistance in ridding us of these creatures?" Princess Celestia asked.

"You shouldn't be here." Mira stated.

"It really wasn't up to us to tell ya the truth." Applejack replied.

" _Why_ shouldn't we be here?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

Mira's face soured a bit. Forcing herself to stand, Mira stumbled forward and falling against Applejack for support. Before Applejack had a chance to assist her further, Mira had pushed herself away from her and continued to stagger forward.

"I don't have time to babysit you ponies. I need to find _my_ flame pony." Mira told them.

"I thought he'd be with you." Daring Do pointed out, looking over her notes.

Mira did not respond to them. It was easy to see that Mira was not well, she looked weak, exhausted, and there was a scar on her back that seemed to still be healing.

"Why would you assume that Smolder would be with her, Daring Do?" Princess Celestia asked.

"We found another Arcana in the forests of the Jungle Ponies. She told us that there were only _one_ other Arcana that looked similar to her, but differed in color. She also said that the Arcana called Mira would try and _kill_ Smolder."

This had Mira stopping abruptly, her eyes wide with fear now, and surprised at how much they knew of her failed plans. There was a sudden glow emanating from Princess Celestia's horn, a look of silent judgement strewn being directed towards Mira. Having stopped so suddenly had already incriminated her and the look on her face would on provide further proof of her guilt. A thought flashed through her mind to try and fight these ponies, if only to escape, but she could barely keep herself upright. Mira could feel the stares of every pony burning holes into the back of her head and would not let her leave now. It would take too much time to explain everything, even if she tried to sum it up it would only make her case worse.

"So what if I did _try_ to kill him?" Mira hissed from over her shoulder.

"So you admit to it!" Rainbow Dash accused.

"Now settle down, Rainbow Dash, let's not forget that Tier _also_ said that Mira was extremely desperate. After what we've been through the last couple of hours and how _long_ these Arcana can live for, I find it hard to put all the blame on her and not that storm." Applejack moderated.

"You also emphasized 'try', to which I will assume that you failed to carry out your plan." Princess Celestia stated.

"I don't have to explain _anything_ to you ponies. This is between Smolder and I." Mira hissed again.

"Smolder is _our_ friend and we're here to help him. So if you're planning on trying to hurt him again then you're going to have to deal with us first." Rainbow Dash warned her.

Mira turned to them, her face full of anger and regret. It seemed to every pony that she was conflicted, if not tormented by their accusations, and it was clear that a lot had gone on prior to their arrival.

"We asked for help once and no pony would answer." Mira began, her voice quivering. "When I was the only one left I tried asking for help again and I was told to go away."

Mira's hands were balled into fists, her body shaking with anger, but it was not directed towards them.

"All I could think about was stopping the Storm, to kill it, just it like it killed everyone else, to be the monster everyone said I was, and I didn't care what I'd have to do to get it. But Smolder-"

There was sudden trail off of Mira's voice, her arms quickly wiping a tear from her face before any pony could see.

"He listened. He didn't turn me away. He even promised to help."

"Then why try to kill him?" Daring Do asked.

"Because… I'm a monster." Mira whispered.

No pony wanted to stand there and add to the pain Mira was already feeling. The remorse that poured from almost seemed to cripple her as she hugged herself trying to calm down. From what Tier had told them, she believed that her friend Tier had perished along with everyone else, but having realized that she had survived frightened her. Not because Mira was inherently evil, but that a great evil had taken the best of them and nearly broken her. Pushed her to such an extreme that logical reason could not sway her, but it had seem that a small amount of kindness from a certain flame pony had given her hope.

"You know, sugar, your friend Tier told us a lot about you. More to the point, how you're… uh… creator made you special. We were told that you were created to help fight all these here monsters, being one of the strongest Arcana in here, but that you weren't considered to be a weapon. In fact, we were told that your creator gave you a really big heart that was filled with love for all your kin and friends." Applejack told her.

"And that how losing everyone you cared about had… well… broken your heart." Rainbow Dash added.

"That's a lot of pain to be carrying around for so long and it would seem almost impossible to find reason to open yourself up again, but from what it sounds like, you did." Daring Do said.

"It would be hard for any pony that has been through what you have and not be seen as a _monster_ , but monsters do not feel remorse. Every pony loses their way from time to time, but a pony can always find their way back to who they once were. It helps when you have a flame pony to light your way." Princess Celestia said comfortingly.

Mira hissed to herself, angry with her own vulnerability while wiping away the few stray tears that found their way onto her face.

"I'm surrounded by stupid ponies." Mira mumbled.

The low groan of the Storm could be heard echoing throughout the cavern. It brought pause to everypony, feeling their manes stand on end by the desperate hunger that the sound brought with it.

"The Storm cannot be allowed to leave this place." Mira said to them.

"Agreed." Princess Celestia replied.

"If the Storm ever gets that close, you have to promise that you'll destroy me."

"What? Why?" Daring Do asked in surprise.

"The Obelisks within this realm can only be activated by an Arcana and I am the last of them. The Storm needs me to escape and it will harm any of you to get to me."

"We can't promise something like that." Rainbow Dash stated.

Mira looked towards Princess Celestia, she said nothing, but her harden expression on her face was enough of a promise to the little Arcana.

"The Storm cannot get ahold of any flame pony, their light increases his power exponentially and if he were to escape into your world with such light…" Mira trailed off.

"It will not come to that. I will make sure of it." Princess Celestia promised her.

* * *

Out of everything I would have thought to have seen, preparing myself for whatever creature that would rise up from the shadows, I found myself caught off guard seeing Sapphire here. There were no words that came to mind, it seemed almost impossible for her to be here, but there she was.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" I asked in happy disbelief.

I couldn't remember how long it had been since seeing her, but then again I couldn't really recall how long I had been here. Every part of me felt a sudden surge of glee, excitement, and joy which had me hurrying towards her to show just how much I had missed her.

Sapphire's face looked mystified, almost awe struck, but I watched it turn to seething hatred the closer I got. A blast of magic exploded from her horn as I felt it strike me square in the chest, throwing me off my hooves, and slamming against the rock wall. I wheezed, trying to catch my breath, but Sapphire wasn't finished with me yet.

"Who in the _hay_ do you think you are leaving me standing there with that stupid seal and not even a goodbye? Do you have _any_ idea what you've put me through? What you've put _every_ pony through?"

"Sapphire I-" I started getting to my hooves.

I felt another blast of magic hit me broadside and once more slamming me against the wall.

"I'm not finished!" Sapphire declared.

I was more frightened of Sapphire then the linger pain I felt in my side. Getting to my hooves I could see Sapphire approaching me with such mitigated fury that I was back pedaling along the side of the cave wall trying to keep my distance from her.

"You are single hoof the most arrogant, delusional, self-righteous, thick headed, idiotic flame pony that has ever lived! I should have let you rot here in this pony forsaken realm of freaky nightmarish creatures for the rest of eternity! What is it with you and your dysfunctional family that brings about the end of Equestria every few months? Answer me!"

"Well I-"

"Not good enough!"

The ground froze over, ice creeping up the rock walls, and Sapphire's cloudy mane storming a flurry snowflakes behind her. I held out my arm to her, reflexively trying to keep her at bay as she seemed to only be growing angrier with each passing moment.

"I traveled all the way to Manehattan to retrieve Tea and her lantern, sent Twilight and her friends to the four corners of Equestria looking for your stupid Obelisks, traversed the White Walk with an ancient spirit haunting us at every turn and have now been pulled into the Void along with you!"

"Well you see-"

"Shut up!"

Sapphire swatted my arm away from her, trying to get right up into my face, but I was nearly running backwards just to keep her away. Her eyes burned a fiery blue, her magic sparking with power, and all I could do was cower from her wrath.

"I was nearly crushed by a giant ball of sand and dung from beetles nearly three stories tall! Threatened to be eaten by a freakish shapeshifter that called itself Aswang!"

"You saw Aswang?"

A blast of ice escaped Sapphire's mouth striking me in the chest and knocking me flat against the rock wall.

"I was hounded by a gigantic wolf, swarmed by ravenous flesh eating maggots, and falling into a river of strange foul smelling goo before being set upon by a giant octopus that bore acid!"

I felt Princess Sapphire's hooves take hold of my shoulders, forcefully pinning me up against the rock wall. I stared right into her bright blue eyes, seeing the mixture of fury and anger sweep across her face. I swallowed hard, smiling weakly at her.

"What have you got to say for yourself, Smolder?"

I could tell that Sapphire and possibly everypony else had gone through hay and high water in the effort to help me. Although I didn't know all the details, Sapphire's rant had made it clear that it was not a walk through Sweet Apple Acres. I felt my stomach drop out, the thoughts of every pony being just as furious at me for what I had done, but the lightness in my heart would not go away.

"It's nice... to see you again, Sapphire." I smiled weakly, feeling her icy hooves tighten around my shoulders.

That's when she kissed me. I found myself freezing up, my fire nearly going out in a snuff. Sapphire's soft icy lips pressed against my rough and chapped ones. I felt weak at the knees, my eyes beginning to close from this remarkable bliss I was feeling. I felt her lean in, her arms sliding around my neck. I brought my arms around her, pulling her close, my flames sizzling from the ice from her mane. My heart was pounding, my head blank, and I found myself forgetting where I was for the moment.

I was quickly reminded with Sapphire pulling away and slapping me across the face in one swift motion. I'm sure I had it coming, for whatever reason she wanted to use, but I cannot say that I wasn't too upset by it seeing to what I had just been given. Sapphire stepped away, looking rather embarrassed and flustered over our moment. Trying to ease the flurry of her mane, while clearing her throat to not show the slightest bit of vulnerability to even me, but Sapphire's flushed face had given her away.

Rubbing my cheek I found myself in a difficult position once again, not knowing whether to speak, to thank her, or just remain quiet, but I felt that I would be hit again for any of them.

"Sapphire," I had begun.

"You're not to tell any pony of what just happened, or so help me you'll wish you were thrown into the Celestial Sea." Princess Sapphire warned me.

"But-"

Princess Sapphire glared at me, her face still rather flushed from the moment we shared, but her threatening gaze was enough to tell that she meant what she said. Even so, I found my courage to approached her, hoping that she would not find reason to hit me again as I embraced her tightly. I hadn't seen another pony, besides my father, for Celestia knows how long and the first pony I was to see had been the last pony I _had_ seen before entering this place. Sapphire seemed rather surprised by this, having been rather tense upon my initial hug, but quickly relaxed as she returned my affection by resting her head onto my shoulder while holding me rather tightly, as if not wanting me to let go.

"I… did not think that I would have seen you again, at least not in this place, but I'm very happy to see you, Sapphire." I mumbled to her.

"It's not just me, Twilight and her friends are here as well. Even Princess Celestia and Wingston were pulled into the Void." Princess Sapphire explained.

Pulling back from our hug rather quickly, looking rather surprised by this, I found myself with dozens of questions already.

"What? Wingston?"

"It's a long story, Smolder, one I hope we'll be able to share once we're out here but we need to find the others before these creatures do." Princess Sapphire informed him.

Sapphire stepped away from Smolder, looking at where she had come from and noticing the other tunnels in which they could take.

"I'm not sure if you are familiar with any of these tunnels like your brothers are, but-"

"You found my brothers?" I cut her short.

Sapphire turned to face me wearing a rather sympathetic smile for me. "Yes, they were most helpful in dealing with the octopus I spoke of earlier, and I've been told that they assisted some of Twilight's friends as well."

I felt my heart jump from this news. My brothers were alive and working with every pony. It wasn't hard to fathom them working with Twilight and her friends, it was just difficult seeing how well they got along when their lives were not in any danger.

"I also had the _pleasure_ of meeting your… well, your so called father, Smolder." Princess Sapphire added sounding rather disdainful.

The color had drained from my face. I found myself looking over Sapphire to see if there were any burns or injuries she might have gotten from my father. I approached her once again, picking up her hoof to look it over while inspecting her other arm to see if she was alright. Sapphire took a firm grasp of my hooves, smiling at me, trying to put my worries at ease.

"I'm alright, Smolder. Your father turned out to be much more a fiend than I had originally believed him to be." Sapphire told me.

I couldn't look at Sapphire, keeping my eyes down at her hooves, as the memory of my father's parting words began flooding back. My grip tightened a bit, my face beginning to contort trying to hold back the pain I still felt over it.

"Smolder, are you alright?" Sapphire asked sounding concerned.

"I-I know how cruel he can be," I began with a forced smile. "And I'm sorry if he said anything that horrid or vile to you. It's… It's my fault he's like this."

"What? How could you believe such of a horrible thing? What did he say to you?"

I choked a laugh, trying to disguise the emotions welling up inside. "He said enough."

Sapphire stepped closer to me, placing her her horn against mine as I heard her whisper 'let me in'. Magic from our horns swirled together, I felt my eyes closing, sudden flashes of the memories of my father racing through my mind. It passed almost like a waterfall, a cascade of these moments falling silently around me, but the pain was still there.

The magic soon faded, my eyes opening once again. Sapphire had tears running down her face and I was just now realizing that I had shared these memories with her.

"Don't believe a word of it, Smolder. Not for a one second." Sapphire whispered to me. "What resides in your father is nothing but rage now."

"Because of me."

"The moment Scorch tried to take over the mind of the Elder Dragon, he ceased being your father and became the Mad King. When that happened the mind of your father was destroyed and all that was left was the dragons rage. It's anger with you stems from your father's reason of standing up the Elder Dragon, but that is all it is. Just rage."

"I think about what could have been, if I hadn't been... the mistake to begin with."

I looked away, feeling ashamed that such a thing bothered me, that my father's words hurtful words still affected me in such a way. Feeling the touch of Sapphire's icy hooves on my face, gently turning my head to look her face to face.

"I want to share something with you, Smolder."

Sapphire's horn once again touched my own. Our magic swirling together once more, feeling my eyes close as the world faded away.

" _So the Hom Dai turned out to be the jungle ponies, trying to scare away Ahuizotl and his hench ponies from reaching the Heart of the Jungle. As it turns out, that Heart was actually an Arcana named Tear that had escaped this place with the help of her friend Mira and Smolder's mom."_ Rainbow Dash's voice echoed in.

My eyes shot open I found myself standing in darkness, watching Rainbow Dash float by with Applejack and a pony I was not familiar with wearing a rather adventurous looking hat.

" _The jungle ponies have agreed to help us open the portal when the time comes. I reckon Tier's knowledge of the Void will help out convincing the other ponies at the Summit of helping Smolder."_ Applejack added.

I watched as they faded into the darkness as Rarity and Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared walking the opposite way.

" _I dare say that your events ran parallel to our own. Upon our arrival in Trottingham, we were knees deep in a mystery that was just begging to be solved. Pinkie Pie jump at the opportunity to take up the role as detective as we uncovered a secret coup to overthrow the Royal Monarchy by Queen Chrysalis and her changelings."_ Rarity's voice echoed.

" _We had all sorts of help from some really generous ponies, even Trixie offered a hoof and ended up really saving the day. I think the most touching thing was when the Duke stood up to Queen Chrysalis and made this speech about how much he wanted to help Smolder._ " Pinkie Pie continued.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie disappeared into the darkness just as Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike emerged before me.

" _You want to talk about mystery, then you should hear about how we ventured into a place called the White Walk where no pony who entered was ever seen again. Because there was this angry spirit known as the Ijiraq that lived there and scared the scales right off of us."_ Spike's voice drifted in.

" _Rupert the penguin and Benny the polar bear were very helpful in warning us that the Ijiraq would only let a pony go if they were honest with themselves. I was still rather worried about going in, but I knew that everypony else were trying their best to help Smolder and I knew I had to as well."_ Fluttershy said softly.

" _What we didn't know was that this angry spirit was actually a very old spirit that the ice ponies had revered a very long time ago. Having been twisted into a monster over the years by the ice ponies slowly losing touch with their spiritual side. Luckily, Princess Sapphire was able to communicate with it, reminding the spirit of what it used to be, and it let us all go free."_ Twilight explained further.

Each of them faded into the darkness.

" _You've done all this for Smolder?"_

This voice gripped my heart. I could see two fiery colts blazing out from the darkness before me. Wick and Pyre were walking towards me, I could see their faces so clearly, and it almost made me break down crying right then and there. The two of them were soon followed by everypony else behind them, my brothers leading them through the darkness.

 _"Of course! He's our friend_." Spike's voice echoed.

" _Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been doing research on the Void in the attempt to help him. In her last letter, she informed me that she had discovered a way to render the Storm inert._ "

" _But why? You've put yourselves in such danger for him. What do you get in return?"_ Wick asked.

" _Friends don't do things expecting to get something in return, we're helping because we care about him."_ Rainbow Dash informed him.

" _From what I remember, the two of you throwing yourselves into the Void to save Smolder really showed just how much you cared about him."_ Rarity commented.

Wick snorted derivatively, but Pyre smiled amusingly.

" _He is our brother. Our king. When we see him again, we will swear our loyalty to him, and ask for his forgiveness."_ Pyre states.

" _You guys may have made a couple of mistakes, but Smolder will surely understand your reasoning for what you did._ " Twilight said.

" _Our mistake was allowing Smolder to believe that we cared so little about him. We want him to know that we…"_ Wick trailed off in embarrassment.

" _That we love him._ " Pyre finished his brother's thought.

There was a collective 'aww' from every pony. It only fueled Wick's embarrassment further of the matter.

" _It didn't need to be said, brother._ " Wick mumbled.

" _On the contrary, brother dear, I believe he deserves to hear it from the both of us. At least once while we still have the chance._ " Pyre told him.

Everypony was swept away like smoke in the wind. I found myself opening my eyes again, Sapphire standing before me with the most comforting of smiles.

"Your friends have carried your story to the far reaches of Equestria, Smolder, and in a hundred small ways you have touched the lives of so many ponies. Does one cruel ponies words outweigh the love your friends and family have for you?"

I found it hard to speak. My emotions were swelling for a whole different reason now, but found a way to get out the word 'no'. I was smiling, quietly sobbing from having heard my brothers speak, having been able to see their faces again even if it was just a memory. The icy touch of Sapphire's arms came around me again, embracing me tightly, trying to comfort me.

From deep within the tunnels the sound of the Storm echoed its thunderous groan, bringing Sapphire and I apart to take notice. I had heard it's declaration, it's promise, and hearing it now had my flames blazing in silent fury.

"Smolder, this Storm wants to kill you. I made promise to bring you home and I'm not going to break that promise." Sapphire insistently.

"A pony shows their true face when they ask for help and we show ours in how we respond." I said.

There was a growing confidence in my heart I had not felt since the days I challenged my father and the Orc. I smiled at Sapphire warmly.

"I have no right to ask this of you, Sapphire." I began, holding my hoof out to her. "Will you have my back against this enemy, one last time?"

Sapphire took my hoof slowly, her grip tightening as her own mane began to storm with anticipation.

"You don't need to ask, Smolder." Sapphire said.


	58. Chapter 58: The Summit

The Summit was the largest gathering of leaders from pony, mule, donkey, griffon, minotaur, yak, zebra, and at times even dragon to discuss the future of Equestria. It was customary to have annual meetings to discuss a great many things, to confer with one another of topics and issues that needed resolution or insight, but this particular meeting wasn't going to be so reserved. Every leader of their respective homeland or race had come with the knowledge Princess Celestia had provided her in summons over what could potentially take place.

Princess Luna stood outside the large marble doors that led inside to the Summit's Chamber where she would address the whole of Equestria's most noble leaders and respected nobility. She was accompanied by Discord, Chieftain Talon, and Tier the Arcana. Although the jungle ponies would be making their first appearance at a Summit, welcomed by all attending, their sway over any other land would be little to nothing in helping convince others of their cause. Discord would also be limited to what help he could offer, his reputation, albeit rather tame this last year, would not sit well with many. Princess Luna would ultimately have to convince the Summit of their intentions and appeal to them of a risk worth taking on Smolder's behalf.

"Everypony has been informed of the incident concerning Princess Celestia, Twilight and her little friends, and even that old bat. Our chances of having every pony agree to our plan of opening the portals has increased." Discord said.

"Everypony might agree to opening one portal to get them out, but that is not enough to fulfill Smolder's intentions. We cannot use my sister's predicament to influence this matter. As much as I want everypony's safe return, using them as a crux to fuel our agenda is not what this meeting is about. Before this incident, the plan was to simply open the portals to render the Storm inert, defeat it, and rescue Smolder." Princess Luna replied.

"I feel that the mismatched creature makes a valid point. With more lives at stake, the need for this quest to succeed is more prevalent than ever. Tier can even serve as the mediator between every pony, serving to pass on our good intentions and our resolve." Chieftain Talon added.

"To this I cannot agree. Influencing any pony's emotions or perhaps thoughts on this matter through Tier's powers would be unethical. A decision must be reached with their own feelings on the matter, swayed by their own thoughts, and resolve to do what they believe is right." Princess Luna said.

"Then, what am I to do?" Tier asked looking unsure.

"I would ask that you act as an ambassador to your kind, seeking help for your world, and providing the Summit with whatever answers they might seek." Princess Luna answered.

"So your plan is to simply humble yourself to them? Appealing to every pony's good nature and hoping that they agree to take a chance of possibly destroying all of Equestria?" Discord asked.

The door to the Summit clicked open, the appointed pony presiding over the introductions stepped through to meet with them.

"My lady, all the Lords and Ladies have convened and are ready to begin." The appointed pony disclosed.

Princess Luna nodded her head. The appointed pony stepped back through, the marble doors opening wide to reveal the chamber beyond. Several dozen ponies of different colors and walks of life lined the chamber on raised steps that circled the platform to where Princess Luna would address them. Spotted across the rows were minotaur, griffons, yak, mule, and donkey alike. Familiar faces were that of Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Duke Wellington, Lord Tundra, Lady Frost, Prince Rutherford, and Princess Sheva.

"Standing in for the absence of Princess Celestia, is the honorable Princess Luna who will be presiding over the Summit this day. With her, Chieftain Talon of the Wakanda Tribe, Leader of the jungle ponies, Discord, the Master of Chaos, and visitor from a plane beyond our world, Tier the Arcana." The appointed pony read from his paper.

Princess Luna strode in with all the dignity and poise a Princess was to have, while Discord waved to the crowds using a T-shirt cannon to give a few lucky ponies some souvenirs. Chieftain Talon was close to follow with Tier floating close beside him.

An eruption of hushed whispers passed through the chamber, it was obvious that every pony was curious about this new creature, and what it represented as a whole. Discord slithered by, snaking his way up one of the many pillars that lined the chamber, creeping along the ceiling as to hang on around as it were. Princess Luna had taken the stand near the center of the chamber, preparing herself to address all in company.

"I want to personally thank each and every pony here for taking time out of their schedules to appear for this Summit meeting. I would also like to extend my personal apology for the absence of my sister, Princess Celestia, as she currently irretrievably detained for the foreseeable future." Princess Luna started off.

"I believe I speak for every pony present that we hope for Princess Celestia's quick and safe return." Lord Aton of Somnambula stated.

A murmur ran through the collective, agreeing with the sentiment professed.

"I appreciate every pony's thoughts on this matter and thank every pony for their understanding in regards to my standing in for this Summit meeting. First and foremost, it is with great pleasure that I am to introduce a new representative to our council today. Chieftain Talon, leader of the jungle ponies, has chosen to come out of their isolation and become part of the happenings of Equestria."

As per usual, Chieftain Talon was adorned with his traditional jungle pony clothing, decorated skull staff, and his Hom Dai mask hanging by his side. His presence was intimidating, although, the smile he wore offered much in friendship as he bowed his head to every pony in attendance. A generous applause was soon followed welcoming Chieftain Talon, many of which found him just as intriguing as her counterpart.

"Joining him is a rather unique addition to our group, a creature from which my sister and several talented ponies have been attempting to study further upon, Tier the Arcana. She comes from another dimension called the Kingdom of Naught. Her presence within our world has been a closely guarded secret of the jungle ponies until recent events, beyond our control, have forced her participation amongst us."

Many of those attending had forgotten to applaud, many were whispering among themselves again, but it seemed that none harbored any resentment towards Tier. In fact, it seemed as though many were interested in finding out more about her. Chieftain Talon escorted Tier to the bottom tier of the platform where the most convenient space could be found. Even though each would be representing their own kin, Chieftain Talon still regarded himself Tier's protector and had her hovering close to him to ensure every pony knew it as well.

"To begin, it would only be fair to recount the minutes of the last meeting to ensure that all issues and subjects have been addressed before tackling new ones." Princess Luna said.

"It would prove a moot point if this creature from another dimension is to invade our world, wouldn't you say?" A rather robust minotaur asked aloud.

"I would have to agree with Lord Bushwacker, this issue with this 'Storm' as it is being called poses far too much of a threat for it to be considered just another point on the docket." Lady Havisham agreed.

The chamber murmured their agreement with that sentiment with many eyes looking towards Tier.

"If every pony is in favor of this then I am obliged to jump straight to the main issue at hoof. For posterity sake, allow me to state, in detail, the reasons and accounts of everything that has led us to this point. Lord Smolder, King of the Ashen Fields, had willingly entered the Kingdom of Naught, the Void in our terms, seeking to help the race of Void Walkers that lived there. In his departure, he gifted a set of instructions to Princess Sapphire imploring her to seek out other Obelisks that were hidden across Equestria to help him combat the Storm that threatened their world. In so doing, Princess Celestia, along with many ponies that sought to fulfill this request, have been inadvertently pulled into the Void as well. It was Princess Celestia's hope that this Summit would find ample cause to aid Lord Smolder by using the found Obelisks to render this Storm inert long enough to destroy it. The issue that stands before this council is the possibility that these portals would allow for the Storm to escape into our world and suffer the same fate the Void Walkers have."

"If I am so bold as to ask who Lord Smolder took council with before attempting such a heroine expedition?" Lord Nox asked asked.

"He acted under his own volition. He made no mention of his plans to any pony." Princess Luna replied.

Nox snorted derisively. "I believe the old adage is leaping without looking? In this case, acting without thinking."

Lord Nox represented Mustangia, a herd of wild ponies from the earliest times of Equestria that had now become civil and respected, but their hearts still beat with a fiery passion. They believed in the truth of all things, for when one is thirsty they would drink, if one was hungry they would eat, and if one shared a difference of opinion they would speak it. At times it would seem cruel, perhaps insensitive, but the Summit was a place to have different cultures clash and be tolerated.

"Your sarcasm is unappreciated, Lord Nox." Duke Wellington pointed out.

"Perhaps the same could be said for this king of flame ponies going off on his own and dragging the rest of us with him." Lord Nox rebutted.

Murmurs ran through the hall, many agreeing with Lord Nox's view of the situation.

"If you are entirely against this idea of assisting King Smolder, Lord Nox, then perhaps you should simply refuse and we can move on to other things." Lady Frost suggested.

Lord Nox did not respond right away. His hesitation was warranted, no pony wanted to be the first to cast their vote against this idea, lest that they be forever remembered as the reason the flame pony king had met his untimely end.

"I will not deny that if we were to vote now, I would be against proceeding with this motion to help the flame king. Although, this is a place of open mindedness, understanding, and acceptance. I am willing to hear what everypony has to say before making a decision." Lord Nox replied.

"Then allow me to bring forth the plan we wish to carry out." Princess Luna offered.

With a sudden flash of magic from her horn, Princess Luna produced a large overworld map of Equestria upon the floor of the hall. Four sets of two Obelisks markers were placed on the areas in which they were located, the Frozen North, the Southern Jungles, Trottingham, and the Ashen Fields.

"From several sources, we have substantiated that these Obelisks are a means of travel to Tier's world, the Kingdom of Naught. While each has a specific requirement to be opened, these portals were built for a singular purpose." Princess Luna began.

"Which is?" Lord Nox asked curiously.

Princess Luna looked towards Tier to allow her the chance to speak.

"They were designed to nullify the Storm, to remove it from the host's body, and allow us the chance to kill Null. Without its host, the Storm would cease to be threat to anyone and wither into nothingness. With our powers failing during our war with it, we sought your ancestors to help us in defeating our enemy, but only one promised to help." Tier explained.

"Who was that?" Lord Bushwacker asked.

'It was the flame pony king. He had promised to help us."

"You referring to Lord Smoke? His rule was centuries ago." Lord Nox asked.

"Our kind do not age, we are akin to being immortal, but this Storm can take from us our very soul. When the time came to face this Storm, the flame pony king refused to honor his promise and sealed us away. He feared for your world, of what the Storm might bring, and we were trapped with it."

"So now the our flame pony king feels responsible for this?" Lady Havisham asked.

"A better question would be, how did the flame pony king know of this?" Lord Nox questioned.

"King Smolder had been in contact with another Arcana from the Kingdom of Naught, it had told him of what happened, it brought upon visions of his ancestors, and asked him for help." Princess Luna stated.

"So it is safe to say that our flame pony king had not simply ran off on a noble quest, but guilted, if not, pressured into helping. Manipulated, as a young ruler, to right the wrongs of his forefathers, as he was already trying to redeem the sins of his own father." Lord Nox concluded.

"Their words you seem to twist, the point, I fear, you have missed." Lady Sheva spoke out.

"Quite the opposite, my Lady, I feel sympathy for Lord Smolder. From his father's return to the battle with an Orc and Elder Dragon, I feel that he was taken advantage of by this other Arcana. Why not come to us sooner, why hide with these jungle ponies all this time until this matter grew beyond your control?" Lord Nox asked.

"I-I-I-I believed that everyone had… had died. I never thought that any would try to reach out to this world again or try to open these portals. My isolation was to keep this world from the horrors of my own, but now I fear that it is no longer possible." Tier replied.

"I can advocate for a single portal being opened for the attempt to rescue those ponies unfortunate enough to have been stranded within this other world, but I would not consider this plan viable in anyway. The safety of Equestria and all who dwell here comes first, above all else."

There was a simultaneous agreement with that notion going throughout the hall.

"If I may interject for a moment." Duke Wellington began. "I would like to bring to every pony's attention the actual pony we are discussing here."

"We were not speaking of the flame pony?" Prince Rutherford asked in loud surprise.

"When I first met this Lord, he was only a kid, beaten by his father, and asked to carry a fallen kingdom back into the world. He never wanted the throne, all he ever wanted was to be accepted, mostly by his family, and he didn't even get that much." The Duke told.

"What is your point?" Lord Nox asked.

"We're not discussing a king that sought war, glory, or even honor. We're talking about a young flame pony prince, just crowned king, who believes that we are better ponies then we believe ourselves to be. Perhaps it is his naivety of his youth to believe that we would come marching to the breech whenever evil rears its ugly head, but we are all guilty of looking the other way from time to time. I challenge any pony here to find any foal or filly that doesn't believes that we should stand against evil."

"Even if it means losing everything?" Lord Nox asked.

"To do what is right? To what I know is to be right? Yes, we should. I for one cannot see myself holding a sword or fighting off more than the common cold, but I would stand with this flame pony knowing that I did the right thing. Even if I were to fall beside him."

Lord Nox rubbed his chin with his hoof, internally debating his own ideals and fears. The hall had become uncharacteristically quiet with their own contemplation of what the Duke had advocated.

"We…" Lord Nox began. "We are being asked to open our world to a great evil, one that we do not know if we can win against. Sometimes… making the hard decisions are not always right, but that is for us to bear while our homes and families are kept safe."

"Smolder has witnessed first hoof the horrors of what evil can bring. It has come in the form of an Elder Dragon, an Orc, and even his own father. No pony here would walk away unchanged by such events. For Smolder, who had left his lands seeking help from complete strangers was able to face all of these evils and win. From this, he has chosen to help any and all those that seek that very same mercy. His pain has only sharpened the blade that will be thrusted into the very heart of this looming darkness and all Smolder asks is that we give him this chance." Princess Luna replied.

"It's okay." Tier mumbled.

Every pony's attention turned towards the Arcana who was staring down at the ground with her hands clasped firmly together.

"What's okay?" Princess Luna questioned her.

"I… don't want to see anyone else getting hurt by this Storm. Just get your friends out as safely as you can. There is nothing left that can be saved."

There was a sadness in they way that Tier spoke, but it wasn't for her. She could feel the worry, the dread, and the fear that every pony had for this plan and it was overwhelming to her.

Chieftain Talon got to his hooves, making it very clear that he wished to speak.

"Lord Amon, if I may ask, where is it that you come from?" Chieftain Talon inquired.

"Me? Oh, well I come from Somnambula, it is a desert village in the southern part of Equestria." Lord Amon replied.

"Prince Rutherford, may I ask where it is that you come from?" Chieftain Talon asked.

"Yakyakistan!" Prince Rutherford hollered proudly.

"What are you getting at, Chieftain Talon?" Lord Nox asked.

"Would you consider a pony's home to be trivial, Lord Nox?" Chieftain Talon asked.

"I would not."

Reaching over to Talon, Tier placed her hands on his arms, urging him to sit down. "It's okay, Talon."

Chieftain Talon pulled his arm away from her. "Is it? When our business here is concluded we shall all be returning to our homelands. I myself will be returning to my jungle, to my family, my friends, because that's where home is for me. We're here because one of us might not be going home. You won't be going home."

In a rather unorthodox move, Chieftain Talon stepped out into the center of the Summit for all ponies to see him to continue speaking further.

"Tier came to my ponies many years ago, back when we were just a warring race of jungle ponies. It was from her experiences, her pain, that we saw what are selfish greed and violence would bring. Since then, we have lived in harmony, five tribes now a single family, that swore to protect the heart of the jungle. Tier the Arcana, my friend." Chieftain Talon spoke.

"Her home has been taken by a dark force, having destroyed both friends and family, but a very this flame pony is trying very hard to get it back. If any one of us were unable to go home, if our loved ones were being threatened, harmed, or possibly even killed by untethered evil, how quick would this council be to aid that pony, yak, griffon, or zebra? Would this injustice not be met with outrage and immediate action? Why is it that we must debate helping another in need, as if their plight was somehow lessened for being a stranger?"

Tier clasped her hands tightly together, feeling the eyes of every pony on the room upon her now.

"I have recently learned of these Elements of Harmony. Honesty, loyalty, generosity, laughter, kindness, and magic. It mirrors closely to what we jungle ponies hold dear, and I can bet that it does with many of your beliefs. If you can find reason to deny them help a second time, then let us end this meeting here and now. But, if we can see that this is a noble and just cause, then let us stand with this flame pony king to help end this long egregious suffering of their world."

Almost immediately Prince Rutherford jumped to his hooves. "If the cause is just and honorable, Yaks will stand with the Fire King!"

Princess Sheva was next to get to her hooves. "To turn our backs, we refuse to do, just like the Yaks, we Zebras will stand by too."

Duke Wellington got to his hooves. "Trottingham will stand with this kid."

"Lady Frost and I will see this through to the end." Lord Tundra announced standing with her.

"Let this so called Storm feel the might of the minotaurs!" Lord Bushwacker declared.

"Somnambula will stand with this flame pony." Lord Amon stated.

The next to stand was Lord Nox, although he did not speak right away, keeping his gaze upon Chieftain Talon for a moment. His gaze broke to the others ponies that were already standing and those that were just coming to their hooves. It was unclear to any pony if he meant to stand with them or declare his refusal of it.

"I hold a great amount of respect and admiration for several ponies in this room. To have heard them speak so candidly and voicing their support of such a bleak and terrifying prospect has me wondering what sort of pony this flame king is." Lord Nox stated. "I would like to meet him for myself. Mustangia will stand against this Storm and drive it back into whatever hole it crawled out of."

It did not take much more for the rest of the Summit to stand with the some the most powerful leaders of Equestria, voice their own support to the cause. None so loud as Prince Rutherford who continuously stomped his hooves declaring his support of the matter.

"Then Equestria will stand with King Smolder and help him stop this Storm from every harming any pony else!" Princess Luna declared, finalizing the motion.

There was a unified declaration from every pony, cheering, shouting, hollering their support for this matter. Princess Luna stomped her hoof, having signaled the motion having been carried, and it only bolstered the rooms energy.

Tier hovered quietly, her hands covering her face from the tears that had been streaming down her face for sometime now. Talon approached her, placing a hoof upon her arm to try and comfort her as a sudden swell of emotions were poured into him from her. There was a overwhelming sense of relief, of happiness that streamed from her, as if a long desired wish had finally come to fruition.

"You'll be able to go home, Tier." Talon reassured her.

Tier wiped her eyes revealing a smile. "I've been home for many years now, Talon."

Talon returned her smile knowing that Tier planned to remain with him and the jungle ponies when everything was over.

Discord slithered over to Princess Luna, leaning in to whisper to her. "You left out the part of the Ashen Fields portal being inoperable."

"For the time being." Princess Luna corrected him. "The flame ponies have been extensively looking into an alternate solution to power the Obelisks."

"And if they fail to turn up with anything? What then? This plan cannot succeed if even one portal cannot be used." Discord posed.

"If nothing else, today has proven that the efforts of a one flame pony can make a large impact on us. I have faith that the entire kingdom of flame ponies will not let us down."


	59. Chapter 59: Dual of Flames and Darkness

The air had become frigid and stale, every breath the ponies drew felt like tacks trickling down their throats. They had run hard and fast to put distance between them and the Storm, but found that they had reached the end of the world. This had once been the Planes of Chiaroscuro, an ethereal pool in which the Eternal Masters would observe all walks of life within other realms, but it had been shattered my Zenith's mighty hammer to keep Nadir from using it to travel to other worlds. What remained was a breathtaking view of shattered silver glass that hung frozen within the blackness as far as any eye could see.

The Twins had led everypony to a small outcropping on the edge of the world. There everypony hid, trying to catch their breath from the sprint to reach this place ahead of the Storm. It proved very difficult for the Twins to catch their breaths, doing their best to take small breaths of air, as each one fueled their fire brighter and brighter. It was important that they stayed hidden now as the Storm would be looking for any shred of light.

Cupping his claws around his mouth, Spike began to quietly shout. "There's no place left for us to go."

"There are other tunnels to take, but many of them would lead back towards the Storm." Wick whispered.

"Then there's only one thing left to do." Pyre said.

"What would that be?" Wick asked.

"I'll draw off the Storm, once it's distracted, you will get everypony as far away from here as you possibly can."

Wick swiped his hoof at the idea. "Not happening."

Pyre took a firm grip of Wick's arm, pulling him closer to speak with him. "Our time is short and our options limited. We cannot allow it claim both of us and every pony will need you to guide them back through the tunnels."

Wick proceeded to headbutt his brother rather harshly, knocking him on his flank, and dazing him slightly.

"I left my brother to die once, and I will not make that same mistake again."

"No pony is leaving any pony." Twilight hissed at them.

" _ **I can feel the warmth of your light. Your racing hearts are like drums beating against my ears. It's almost deafening.**_ "

Violent winds blew through the tunnel, spraying sand out into the abyss as every pony shielded themselves from it. Even with its booming voice, the Storm seemed very close now.

"I have faced Void Walkers , Arcana, flame ponies, and what you would perceive to be gods. What trite hope do you have in stopping what is to come? There will be no rock, no crevasse, where I cannot find you. Your world will be brought low, your skies empty of all light, and everyone you know will beg for death before the end."

Pyre moved closer to Twilight and the others.

"We're running out of time." Pyre whispered. "The Storm is only after us, if it catches the rest of you…"

"We'll draw it off. Long enough for the rest of you to make a run for it. Better to wander the tunnels then be caught by the Storm." Wick said.

"I already told you, no pony is leaving any-"

" _ **None of you will be leaving this place.**_ "

Every pony had fallen silent. Not daring to breathe another word.

"Don't stop your whispering now. It amuses me. Your fear lingers upon every word."

Wick smiled encouragingly at his brother, knowing that they would be seeing this through to the end, and it only steeled Pyre's resolve.

"Just promise us one thing, Ms. Sparkle. Get Smolder out of here." Pyre requested.

"And let him know that we are proud to have been his brothers." Wick added.

" _ **Brothers?**_ "

There was nothing for it. Twilight nor Rarity could hold the Twins back with their magic, let alone hold onto them to keep them here. Wick and Pyre raced off back into the tunnels leaving them in darkness, watching their flames grow further and further away.

"Twilight? What are we going to do?" Fluttershy asked.

"We're not going to let what little Smolder have left be taken by this Storm." Twilight said confidently.

From the soft glow of Rarity's and Twilight's magic began to brim from their horns. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike looked ready to go after them.

Wick and Pyre had blazed into their Flash Step, trying to put as much distance as they could from the other ponies and lure the Storm away. Their only problem was that they had no idea where the Storm was within the tunnels.

" ** _Tell me, lords of light, what did the flame pony I devoured mean to you?_** "

The Twins galloped harder, their anger pushing them well beyond their means as the thoughts of their mother drifted into their minds. Being abandoned by her had scarred them deeply, but every memory that came before had been filled with such love. It tore at them to no end.

" _ **What does your brother's life mean to you?**_ "

Pyre and Wick slowed their charge, a gallop becoming a trot, before stopping altogether. Their flames danced between one another, their rage mounting as the light they cast illuminated the tunnel.

Several yards back, from a tunnel they had barreled passed, Null stepped out into their light. His shredded husk body peeling from him, drifting about him, as pieces of his being hung in place.

" _ **What do your lives mean to you?**_ "

The Twins turned to face the Dark King Null, the clouds of the Storm were present just under the surface of his husk like skin, but the air trembled from its force. The fire from the Twins scorched the tunnel around them, their light beckoning Null to challenge them. Null paced towards them, pieces of his body tearing themselves away, fluttering into the shadows that danced from the Twins flames.

Together, Wick and Pyre unleashed a blast of fire that consumed the tunnel and barreled its way towards Null. The Storm exploded from his body to meet their fire as the impact shattered the earth around them.

* * *

The wretched Echoes that hounded their every step swarmed the tunnels like water through streams. Mira could not take them through traditional routes, in fear of being overwhelmed once more by these nightmarish creatures, therefore, she had to take an alternate path. One which Smolder has carried her through earlier, a tunnel that would lead back to the Forgotten City.

Every pony made haste through the tunnel. Mira had told them of her intentions of taking a longer route to avoid the Echoes, but none could bare the thought of losing even a minute with the Storm chasing after their friends. Mira had been offered to ride upon Princess Celestia's back, to which she did not hesitate to accept. Her power had not yet recovered, she would not even have half her strength even when her wounds had completely healed, there was no more light she could take. At least not one she would accept.

"So where are heading again?" Applejack asked.

"It's a city so vast that it would take several of your weeks to reach the other side. We've come to call it the Forgotten City." Mira replied.

"Was it always called that?" Daring Do asked.

"It had another name, it was in the language of my kin, it would only sound like gibberish to you, but in your tongue it would loosely translate to something like 'eternal sand.'"

"Well why do you call it the Forgotten City then?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"What else would you call a city that is nearly deserted?"

"Nearly?" Princess Celestia questioned.

"After the Storm razed half the city, it brought with it the abominations we had cast out that had been created by Nadir. Most of them took up refuge in the ruined city, picking off those that could not fight or fend for themselves. The last of the Void Walkers now reside their, hiding and waiting, for the darkness to claim them." Mira told them.

There was an uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the group. It mostly stemmed from the thoughts of running off to face even more monsters. After facing the giant squid, which they later learned was named Kana, they were not particularly excited about what else lurked within this world.

"The most vile and cruelest of abominations have been killed already. Hoopoe was devoured by Apep and then in turn destroyed by Smolder and I." Mira added.

"A hippo and a what now?" Applejack asked in confusion.

"Hoopoe was a giant raven that soared through the skies picking off light wherever it may find it. Apep was a enormous snake that devoured light as well."

"Now that would have been cool to see." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"They killed a lot of my friends." Mira mumbled hatefully. "But I got to avenge them when crushed Apep with my bare hands."

Every pony felt uneasy at Mira's tone. It was easy to see that she had some very strong feelings about these creatures, but it also seemed that she took a sick pleasure in the revenge that she was able to extract from it. She had called herself a monster, while she may not have looked it, they were beginning to see that this darkness had begun to change her into the very thing she wanted to destroy.

Up ahead, every pony found that the tunnel had come to an abrupt end as the path had been blocked by a slew of rocks and debris. Mira floated off from Celestia's back, beginning to clear away the rocks by hand. It was clear that Mira was not herself yet, her ability to fly seemed to come and go as she struggled keep herself aloft. There was still a rather nasty scar on her back, as well several minor cuts across her body, but she seemed to work through the pain trying to clear the rocks with what little magic she had available in her state.

Princess Celestia approached the mass of rocks, using her magic she was able to clear a large portion of it away with a single blast. Mira simply pointed at more of the debris that still blocked the path for Princess Celestia to clear and did so without question.

With the removal of a large stone the entire wall of rocks suddenly collapsed, sliding over one another before revealing a large opening in the ceiling above. Mira waved her hand to the others to follow, putting a finger to her lips to warn them to be quiet.

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do helped lift Applejack from the tunnel, having followed Princess Celestia and Mira up into the Forgotten City. The area had been recently devastated, not that it seemed to make much of a difference, although the surrounding scorch marks had proven that Smolder or perhaps some flame pony had been here.

"Looks like something big went down here." Daring Do observed. "Was this the Mad King's doing?"

"No, this was Smolder." Mira replied.

Princess Celestia joined the others in inspecting the ruins of the battlefield, noticing the high intensity scorch marks that had melted the stone buildings. The molten stone had formed horizontal stalagmites pointing away from the initial blast. It was clear to her that Smolder's power had increased significantly, but how was another matter.

"It would seem that Smolder has developed quite a bit." Princess Celestia remarked. "Am I to assume this was your doing?"

Mira could sense that Princess Celestia was fishing for some answers. "Smolder is now like you, with a horn, an Alicorn or whatever."

"How did he manage that?" Daring Do asked in surprise.

"Smolder's power had been repressed for quite sometime, most of it stemmed from his own mental blocks from ever becoming like his father. You cannot grow if you cannot accept who you are."

"I know of flame pony fire, this is not some mere expression of power, this is controlled by magic and it burns fiercer than normal fire." Princess Celestia stated.

"Smolder can use magic now?" Applejack asked.

"A type of magic." Mira said flatly.

"Black magic?" Princess Celestia questioned her.

Mira narrowed her eyes to her. "What of it?"

"Black magic is dangerous and unpredictable. It draws on too many dark feelings and demands too high a price for its power." Princess Celestia scolded her. "How could you teach Smolder such an incredibly dangerous thing?"

"Flame ponis are remarkably resilient to the tolls that shadow magic can have, their flames are more than enough to pay the cost of many spells, and by their nature they are in more control of their emotions than most. Your light magic is a death sentence around here and insignificant when compared to raw power shadow magic can be." Mira snapped back.

"Insignificant? Light magic feeds off of everything that is good. It is more accessible and quantifiably stronger as it requires less toll on the user. In fact, your black magic cannot even produce a single spell without requiring an absorbent amount of that casters physical strength. Truth be told, your black magic is simply from a bygone age of reckless and unrefined use of magic. It's barbaric."

"Perhaps you'd like to put your magic where your horn is, missy." Mira hissed at her.

"I can see that it has already proven to do wonders for you." Princess Celestia snapped back.

Princess Celestia and Mira were staring one another down, neither wishing to admit that that the other was right even in the slightest. It was true that black magic was not something for a novice, or even an experienced wizard, should be attempting, but a flame pony seemed like a perfect candidate for such a field.

"Your magic has brought nothing but misery and death."

This new voice had drifted in from the shadows of the ruined buildings surrounding them. A lone Void Walker stepped out into the light that was being cast by Princess Celestia's horn, as did several more from other parts of the ruined area. The Void Walkers were tall, nearly head height with Princess Celestia, their long cloaks covered every inch of their body, save for the yellow piercing of their eyes from beneath their hoods.

"We mean you no harm." Princess Celestia stated.

"Except that they already sold you out to Null to save themselves." Mira hissed at them.

The Void Walkers stepped forward, even with their faces covered by their hoods it was easy to see that they looked tired and defeated.

"What other choice did we have? There are so few of a us now, so many have died because you and the Storm you brought." The Void Walker questioned.

"You brought?" Daring Do asked.

"Null brought the Storm!" Mira shouted in anger.

"And it was you who saved Null. All this was because you allowed it to live. If it had died that day, there would be no Storm, there would not have been so much death, and you would not have become a monster."

Mira shrieked at the Void Walkers, lunging towards them with her hands out as if to strangle them, but Princess Celestia was quick to hold her back with her magic.

"There was another pony like you, one of fire, we warned her to kill the Aracana before it killed her, but she would not heed our warning. Now it is dead and the Arcana still lives."

"I must decline to this." Princess Celestia stated simply.

"If we had been wiser, we would have ignored this Arcana's plea and killed the creature instead of banishing it. Do not make our mistake of trusting this Arcana, for it has thrown itself in with the Storm."

"You banished it?" Daring Do asked.

"The Valley of Shadows had once been the home of our Eternal Masters, it was a beautiful place that looked of the divine and otherworldly. During the fallout of Nadir's betrayal, his abominations were cast out from our kingdom and sent there. The ones that had escaped, the ones we could not kill, were to live out the rest of eternity in darkness, but we had underestimated Null. It brought back a Storm of unlike any we had ever seen, destroyed this very city, and consumed us."

"You sent an innocent creature into that darkness alone!" Mira shouted.

"We would have sent this creature to meet its maker if not for your weak words of pity. It has only proven to be a curse upon this world. The Last of the Arcana indeed, the only creature the Storm will not destroy."

"It won't destroy, Mira?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It was spared by her mercy and now the Storm allows her to live in return. Monsters do kill other monsters."

"You had him in chains! That metal helmet to hide his face because you couldn't bear to look him in the eye when you spoke of killing him! He was born of the very light of Azimuth, but he didn't even have a name yet and you called him nothing!" Mira cried.

"It was nothing. Just a mistake. Just like you were. Azimuth did not live to see her last creation become the very instrument of our demise, promising us that you would save us from Nadir's horrors. You have only brought us ruin and death."

Black fire surged from the markings upon Mira's arms, breaking free of Princess Celestia's hold and shrieking aloud her rage at these Void Walkers. With a swipe of her arm, Mira created a ribbon on dark energy that struck the majority of Void Walkers, knocking them to the ground.

"You were wrong! All of you were wrong!" Mira shrieked at them. "You deserve everything that has happened to you! You all deserve to die for what you did to him!"

Mira soared towards the Void Walkers, watching them crawl away from her mounting fury.

"Your names say it all! Void Walkers! A void that sits right where your heart should be! I have spent all these years trying to save you, trying to undo what Null has done, having to live day after day feeling your cold stares upon me, having to hear the word monster be thrown at me like knives, and allowing me to think that this was somehow my fault! This Storm was born from your own hatred! From the feelings Null was forced to endure because you couldn't see the son of Nadir sitting on the throne of Naught!"

Mira towered over the toppled Void Walkers, what energy she had left flourished in a blaze of black fire from her body as she raised her hand to strike them again. The Void Walkers coward before her, shielding themselves from Mira's rage.

Applejack made a move to step in, but Princess Celestia touched her shoulder signaling her to hold off.

Mira's hand wavered, unable to bring it down upon the Void Walkers, visibly struggling with her choice. The black fire from Mira subsided, her energy having been spent caused her to fall to the sand from exhaustion.

The Void Walkers backed away from Mira, having seen her restraint from harming them further, as they quickly picked themselves up, hurrying off into the ruins of the Forgotten City.

"You couldn't bring yourself to hurt them, could you?" Princess Celestia asked.

Mira's breathing was labored, mostly from the overuse of her limited powers, but also from the emotional weight she was carrying.

"There's been enough death in this city to echo for eternity." MIra replied.

"What stopped you?" Applejack asked.

Mira gripped the sand tightly, feeling herself choke out the words. "I was forgiven."

It came out like a whimper, as if it were a fresh wound being tended. Every pony could only guess that Smolder had been the one to forgive her, for everything she tried to do him, and it was apparent that it had changed her.

"So I guess… I have to learn to forgive them too."

"Is she going be okay, Princess Celestia?" Daring Do asked in a whisper.

"It would seem Mira has taught Smolder to become stronger, in the hopes that it would be enough to stop the Storm, but I feel that Smolder has taught her something as well." Princess Celestia said.

"What would that be?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That there is a power greater than the Storm, a power greater than fire, a power to reach a pony through simple acts of kindness and love. Whether Smolder knows it or not, he has saved Mira from becoming that monster she believes herself to be, and now she is starting to realize that herself."

* * *

The ruined fields of Oroborus had been swept clean of all it's black sand. Jutted stone of earth and rock speared towards the darkened sky, a quaking of the world was beginning to disturb the area. The Storm erupted from the earth like a spout and spilling out into the sky. Two small flames fell from from the swirling clouds of the Storm, having been thrown from its emergence.

Wick and Pyre crashed to the earth below, tumbling over and over again. Slamming against rock and stone alike before coming a rest several yards out.

Null emerged from the base of the Storm. With him the clouds of the Storm teamed from the husk body, spewing lightning and groaning thunder with every step.

Wick forced himself to his hooves, placing himself in front of his brother who was slow to stand.

"To your hooves, brother." Wick said.

Pyre raised himself from the ground, flaring his mane, trying to fight through the pain he was feeling.

"Call to him." Null commanded.

Wick and Pyre remained silent. Glaring at him with all their fury. Their flames dancing between one another.

"Then your anguished cries will summon him."

Null's arm reaches out towards them. The Storm swirled in through his back and out through his palm in a cyclone towards the Twins. Together the Twins leapt aside, both igniting into their flash step and racing along the outside of the Storm's reach.

A blast of fire from Wick surged towards Null who whimsically swatted it aside with his free hand. With a second gesture, Null raised his hand towards Wick as the ground beneath him was suddenly thrown into the air. The sheer force of how fast the ground beneath Wick had begun to move had him flat against the ground before feeling the earth reach its peak height before falling back towards the fields.

Pyre charged Null, whipping his mane to and fro, creating whips of fire that sliced through the air. The flames ripped through Null, having done little to harm him. Sliding in close, Pyre struck at Null's leg before bucking him in the chest and following it up with a sudden blast of fire that engulfed him completely.

Through the flames Null's hand reached taking a firm hold of Pyre's face. Lifting him into the air with ease, Null began to tighten his grip with the flailing Pyre attempting to break free.

The falling debris Null had magically severed from the land had crashed back down sending shockwaves for miles. In a flash Wick was already racing his way towards Null, preparing to collide with him.

Null lifted his arm once more, this time the Storm came barreling up through the ground beneath Wick and was completely engulfed by it. Dropping Pyre from his grasp, Null shot out a kick that sent Pyre flying into the Storm and colliding with his brother. The two were knocked from the Storm, bouncing away, having been outmatched in both power and speed.

Wick rolled over in the sand, body spotted with razor thin cuts. "We're out of practice."

"Is that what you call getting our flanks handed to us?" Pyre asked.

"It's only the first round, brother, now we get serious."

Pyre forced a laugh. "Have you discovered a weakness yet?"

"I'm working on it."

Pyre and Wick got to their hooves. Battered, but not beaten. Null waited patiently for them, knowing that their escape was impossible, and that the eventuality of Smolder's appearance would be inevitable.

"I know what it's like to lose, to fight so desperately for life. You see beings for what they truly are when faced with death." Null said.

Flaring their manes again, Wick and Pyre readied themselves for their next bout.

"Your mother died a coward."

Wick and Pyre roared in anger, their fire fueled by their hatred, and charged Null. With a single chop of his arm, Null brought the Storm down upon them like a sword, cleaving the ground in two. The impact had thrown dirt and sand alike high into the sky, creating a sizeable cloud of dust that drifted over the fields.

A fiery hoof flew through the thick cloud of dust, striking Null hard in the face, the sound of cracking could be heard from his already webbed helmet. Just as quickly as it had came, the flame pony disappeared into the cloud once more. A strike from the back had Null staggering forward, and before he was able to turn around his attacker was gone. A forceful tackle hit Null from the side, driving him into the dirt. Teeth had bitten down into Null's leg, pulling him across the ground before being flung off through the air and connecting with the sudden impact of two hooves in the chest. Null collapsed to the ground, but the Storm exploded from his body in every direction with great force, throwing the cloud of dust away.

Wick and Pyre shielded themselves from the dirt and sand, trying to withstand the winds being thrown by the Storm.

"We destroy the host and the Storm will fall with it." Wick stated.

"Well, brother dear, any suggestions on how we go about doing that?" Pyre asked.

"The best way we can do this is by separating the two somehow."

The Storm retreated back into Null as he rose to his feet. Taking heavy steps towards the Twins, his pace slowly quickening, before breaking out into a full sprint. Wick was first to move against him, releasing a blast of fire, but watched as the Storm struck the ground and pushed Null from the flames. Null's fist struck Wick hard across the face, knocking him from his hooves and sending him tumbling away. Pyre lashed out against Null, driving his hooves hard into his chest, but felt the Storm explode from his torso. It drove Pyre back, trying to flare his fire hot enough to keep the Storm from consuming him.

"Time is irrelevant here. I have been forced to feel the passage of time. Through hunger. Through pain. I can remember well. Every moment." Null said.

The Storm retreated from Pyre, forming itself around Null who marched towards him. Moving his arms around, creating complicated patterns in the air, the lightning from the Storm surged to Null's hands. With a thrust of his arm the lightning struck out at Pyre, who only just avoided the attack by means of his flash step. The lightning struck the ground, exploding with dark energy.

"I've waited this long, another smattering of moments is nothing compared to what I will become. Unrivaled. Unrestricted. A god."

With a flourish of his arm, the lightning from Null's hands struck out in countless directions with no target in mind. Wick had recovered from his blow, finding Pyre rushing towards him already in flash step. Engulfing himself in flames, the Twins paired up, feeding off each other's power to avoid the random bolts of lightning that struck around them.

"I will not be denied my destiny!"

Null's hand struck the ground, the lightning striking skyward as the Storm exploded from him like a ripple the size of a tsunami. The impact of the Storm swept the Twins from their hooves, a shower of lightning struck down upon them before exploding in its dark energy and sending them sailing from the blast.

Wick and Pyre fell to the ground, viciously bouncing off the ground before landing hard next to one another. The Storm retreated back to Null, silently awaiting their next attempt to attack him.

"Not really how I was expecting to die, brother, to an oversized beehive." Wick mumbled.

"How did you see yourself dying then, brother mine?" Pyre asked.

"Not here."

Dredging themselves up from the ground, the Twins once more facing Null.

"Your deaths will pave the way to my return. There will be no comfort in the infinite oblivion that you're about to embark on." Null stated.

Even beaten and battered the Twins smirked at Null's declaration.

"I don't think it knows whom it's dealing with brother." Wick remarked.

"Perhaps it needs to be educated?" Pyre offered.

The flames of the Twins once more consumed each other, although the intensity of their fire was mounting, eyes burning red, as the ground beneath them began to melt into molten rock. Heat from their fire distorted the air around them, a deep roar of their raging flames echoed across the fields, but the Dark King found little to fear.

"It was said that twins flame ponies only emerge when the life giving flame burns too hot for a single soul to handle. That their power would have no equal." Pyre explained.

"We are the first born sons of the Mad King. Our destiny was to rule, to lead our flame ponies into the next age, and restore the pride of our kingdom." Wick continued.

"Fate has decided to put us on another path, one that will not have us falling here, but princes we yet remain. It is our sworn duty to protect our kingdom, our flame ponies, and our king, from the very ilk that crawls out from the shadows." Pyre said.

"So you're not a king or a god, you're just parasite, and you will learn to fear our flames." Wick said.

Null struck his arms down to his sides, his husk like skin shaping into large lances, sizzling with smoldering embers. Like the wings the Storm erupted from Null's back, screeching and groaning in its hunger for their light.

"I do not fear fire." Null replied.

Crouching low, Null leveled his lance covered arms at the Twins, preparing to run them through.

"I feast upon it." Null hissed.

With tremendous speed, Null lunged at them, the Storm giving him flight, and all the force needed to skewer them. Together, the Twins let loose a blast of fire that rivaled that of an Elder Dragon, illuminating the dark world of the Naught for a few brief moments. Consumed by their fire, Null was being driven back, struggling to fight through the flames, and being forced to take steps to gain ground.

Already weakened from their bouts earlier, the Twins were tiring quickly from their attack. Wick and Pyre cried out with the roar of their flames, giving it everything they had to win this engagement. Null's lances had been burned away, being forced back inch by inch as legions of his husk hide were being sheared away by the flames. The Storm twisted and shrieked in the flames, unable to overcome their light or withstand it. With an agonizing cry, the Dark King cried out in anger and pain before being blasted back by the Twins attack. The flames of the Twins were snuffed out like a candle in the wind, they fell to the ground with not but smoldering ashes lining their manes and hooves.

The fields of Oroborus had a smoldering scar of molten rock strewn across its plains. At the end of it was Null. Once more the Dark King rose to his feet, revealing that he missing entire left arm and half his torso, but the husk of his hide was not reforming his missing limb. The Storm exploded from Null's missing arm, snaking its way across the fields, his body no longer able to contain it fully.

Null reared back his head, screeching into the darkness, rage having consumed him and fueling the Storm. From his missing arm the Storm erupted hard against the ground, propelling Null high into the air and arcing across the fields towards the Twins. Arching his body, Null swung the Storm up over him and angled it down towards the Twins.

Wick looked towards Pyre, seeing him unable to even lift his head from his exhaustion, and found himself in similar straits. With the Storm bearing down upon them, Wick slid his hoof towards Pyre's, having been through everything together, he felt that it would only be right for them to be together at the end. Pyre reached out, taking his brother's hoof, giving him a smile at the idea of it. What neither of them had expected was a third fiery hoof being placed over both of theirs.

The Storm impacted a sudden explosion of fire, one that burned the Storm away, and caused Null to withdraw from his attack. Dropping to the field with the Storm lessening his impact, Null lifted his gaze to a dome of fire that now consumed the Twins. In a flourish the flames parted in all directions, revealing a familiar yet smaller flame pony before him.

"I've been waiting for you, Smolder. We meet again at last." Null said.

Smolder's flames poured from him, streaming into the Twins, rekindling their fire, but his fire continued to mount. His eyes began to blaze a fiery red, the cracks in his hide flared the festering fire that raged within him, and tips of his wings started to drip molten fire from his silent rage. This Dark King had incurred the wrath of a now mad King.


	60. Chapter 60: The Dark King Null (Part 1)

Fire was roaring in my ears, my anger surging through my body having come so far to find my brothers only to nearly lose them had me seeing red. Null stood tall, gesturing his hand for me to approach him, while the Storm groaned around him. I marched towards him, feeling my flames flourish, brandishing my wings as molten fire were flicked from the tips of my feathers.

" _ **Where is my Arcana, Fire King?**_ "

A sudden explosion of magic erupted from my horn, firing a concentrated beam of red light straight through Null's chest. Just as the beam had faded from sight, the line it had drawn from my horn through Null had imploded into large cyclone of fire that engulfed him in flames. A powerful thrust of my wings, sending a magically imbued shockwave of air that blasted Null back and fanning my flames across the fields.

"You know it all make sense now, why Mira spent all these years trying to find some way to destroy you!" I shouted. "Taking the best of the Arcana and bringing her down into the darkness with you only to prolong her suffering!"

" _ **You know nothing of suffering.**_ "

Null's voice boomed. Echoes emerged from the ground before Null, charging towards me with their malformed limbs of twisted shanks ready to run me through. My flames churned, spearing the Echoes that attempted to skewer me, with long lances of fire that leapt from my body and obliterated them in an instant.

"Suffering? I have seen it on every face of every flame pony! On the faces of my friends, my brothers, and even my father! But my suffering is different from everypony elses. For I have had to feel the stigma of being the son of the Mad King, knowing that weight of all my actions were being compared to him! Always standing in his horrid shadow! Refusing to believe the one simple truth of it all!"

Null got to his knees, his right arm keeping him from falling forward, his husk hide burning away from the fires. Turning his missing half towards Smolder, the Storm exploded from Null, surging its way like rushing water to consume him. What followed was a sudden boom, an explosion of fire that knifed its way through the Storm as Null found himself face to face with Smolder. His eyes burning red, the heat of his flames distorting the air around him, the light overwhelming Null bleaching out the darkness around them.

"That I am just like him!"

Air was being pulled towards me, howling at the speed in which it flew, feeding my flames. With a sudden whip of my wings my body exploded with fire, the force of the blast shattering the land around us and sending hurricane like winds across the world. Null was thrown far across the fields from the blast, striking straight through a large mountainside with the wisps of the Storm trailing after him.

Fire spewed from the scars within my legs, slowly opening up more and more as it drew themselves further up my body. My teeth were bearing down with such force that my horn was surging with magic, ready to cast any spell I so desired, fueled solely by my rage.

"Whoa there, Smolder."

These words had my body seizing up, my roaring flames being quelled instantly as I turned to back around to see Pyre and Wick standing side by one another and staring at me with raised brows.

"Our little brother has developed quite the temper hasn't he, brother dear?" Pyre asked.

"I would say he's developed a lot more than a temper. He's a bit taller then I remember, wings and a horn hasn't done him any favors though. He still looks utterly ridiculous to me." Wick replied.

My legs were shaking. Words were failing me. Much like they had been in Sapphire's memory, my brothers were standing right before me, having thought them lost forever and now once more reunited with them again.

"Pyre… Wick…"

"You just couldn't stay away, could you, Smolder? You always had to follow us wherever we went. Even to a place like this." Pyre asked.

I found myself rushing towards them, overcome by my emotions of having found them at last, only to feel Wick's hoof striking the side of my face and knocking me flat on my flank.

"That… was for knocking me out back at the castle." Wick stated.

I held my face looking rather surprised that Wick would have been carrying that around for so long. Pyre quickly slapped Wick upside the head, glaring at him for being so petty over something like that.

"At least try to hide how much you've missed him, brother dear." Pyre remarked.

Pyre held out his hoof to me, offering to help my up, but I ignored it altogether by throwing myself at him for a hug. I clung to him, burying my face into his shoulder, pouring all of my feelings into this one embrace. Pyre staggered back a bit, looking very surprised. Lifting his arm, Pyre slowly returned the hug, resting his head against mine.

"It's good to see you again, little brother." Pyre whispered.

I'm not sure how long I held onto him. I was shaking all over, so overcome with joy of having been reunited with them at last. An audible retching sound was heard coming from Wick, which had be drawing myself away from Pyre and looking his way. Wick narrowed his eyes at me, trying to read my movements as if to anticipate another hug I would throw his way. I stepped towards him, quickly jabbing him in the chest and catching off guard.

"That's for leaving." I said.

I made a move as if I was going to jab Wick again, he flinched to try and block my strike but found my arms coming around him. I found myself hugging Wick tighter than I had with Pyre, probably because Wick had always been so against such things, but also because he cared more about Pyre and I then he would like us to believe. Wick was having trouble reciprocating the hug, looking to Pyre for help, but was met with a approving smirk. Gingerly, Wick managed to get an arm around Smolder and attempted to hug him.

"You were foolish to follow us in here, Smolder." Wick stepped back with his hoof still firmly on my shoulder. "But I am glad to see you again."

Pyre's hoof took hold of my other shoulder, gripping it firmly and beaming at me. I leaned into both of them, embracing both of them at the same time, feeling a wave of relief wash over me.

"I have missed you both far more than you will ever know." I mumbled. "There is so much I want to tell you."

"It will have to wait, Smolder." Pyre replied.

I stepped back from Wick and Pyre, glancing over my shoulder at the Storm raging off near the mountains and the lightning that flashed across the sky.

"We just need to hold out until the portals are activated. It will separate the Storm from Null and give us the chance of destroying him." I said.

Pyre shook his head. "We're not talking about the Storm, Smolder."

"You-You're not?" I asked.

Wick leaned in, his eyes narrowing at me. "When did you start dating Princess Sapphire?"

I stepped back in surprise. "What? Date...Date... Dating Sapphire?"

"Just what have you been doing while we've been away, Smolder?" Pyre questioned.

"Or whom." Wick added.

My mane was flaring. It was hard to hide our emotions from regular ponies, but my brothers could read me quite easily and knew they had struck a nerve.

"We're… not…"

"Not what? No pony, or mare for that matter, would come all this way into monster infested realm to save just a friend, Smolder." Wick pried.

"It is your duty as a colt, as a king, and as a member of this family to be a morally upstanding in all senses of the word, Smolder." Pyre stated.

I could feel my face burning from their implications. "Nothing happened!"

"Where did you meet Princess Sapphire?" Wick asked.

"My-" I stopped short realizing what my answer was going to be. "...bedroom…"

I received nothing but silent and judging stares from my brothers.

"That was because she snuck in!" I added.

My brothers nodded their heads, quietly agreeing with me, but I knew they were forming their own conclusions.

"She's not my-"

A bolt of lightning had struck behind me, Null appearing from the flash, his only arm formed into a spike and poised to run me through. From the corner of my eye I could see the lance coming towards me, but just as quickly saw a wall of ice spring up between us. Null's lance pierced the ice, driving it deep, but unable to reach me. His hand was quickly freezing, immobilizing him, before the ice wall itself turned to snow and magically washed over Null like water. Mounds of snow washed over Null, freezing him in place as it quickly formed back into ice and left him encased.

Leaping over our heads was Sapphire, gracefully landing before Null, her wings magically imbued as they struck the large ice block with razor thin cuts. Her steps were fluid, circling the ice block in mere seconds having sliced the ice more times than any of the Phoenix Son's could count. Princess Sapphire came to a rest before the brothers in a confident and elegant pose. With a whip of her cloudy mane, a sudden spark from her horn, the ice block collapsed in thousands of smaller chunks before exploding in a flash of blue magic.

"Like I said, Smolder, I've got your back." Sapphire stated.

Wick let out a sharp whistle, walking past me and giving me a hard slap on the back.

Pyre merely glanced at me before shaking his head and walking away as well. "Damn, Smolder."

My mane was surging at this point, face burning, trying my best to hide my embarrassment. Wick and Pyre gave Sapphire similar expressions, saying things like be gentle with him and welcome to the family, and it only made her flush as well from warranted confusion.

"Did I miss something?" Sapphire asked.

Sapphire looked to me for some sort of help to what was going on, but I was too embarrassed to even look at her in fear that it would give Pyre and Wick more ammunition. My attention was already on the remains of Sapphire's devastating ice attack, which had destroyed any trace of Null, but the streaming wisps of the Storm were pouring out of the icey debris and circling up above.

I stood alongside my brothers who were watching the Storm gather as well, Sapphire had put aside the awkward conversation she had stumbled into and prepared herself for what was to come. From all of their collective experiences with the Storm, none had seen it so tame, or meek as it was at the moment.

A tether of the Storm reached down to the ground below, churning up the sand, as pieces of Null's husk like body began to reform itself. If the point needed to be driven home any harder, every pony would need to somehow separate the two before attempting to destroy one or the other.

"Are we just going to stand here and let it regenerate?" Sapphire questioned.

"You've got something under your saddle that can put this thing down for good?" Wick asked.

"I was merely pointing out that our enemy is weakened and we're not taking advantage of it."

"If the portals do not open soon, we're going to have to find some alternative way of dealing with it, and until then I suggest we explore some of these ways before it tries to kill us again." Pyre offered.

Null's form was nearly whole again, save for the missing arm the Twins had managed to destroy, but with a body so broken it would be too early to assume that it would make the Dark King any less dangerous.

"Sapphire," I said aloud. "I ask that you remain at a distance and cast magic to immobilize or maim Null. Your experience in magic far exceeds my own and would be better suited in supporting us."

"Right." Sapphire nodded.

"You're suggesting that we face it head on?" Pyre questioned.

Stepping forward, flaring my fire and fanning my wings open, I found myself smiling at the prospect of fighting alongside my brothers for the first time.

"Let's show him what happens when it challenges the might of the Flame Ponies!"

My flames erupted, throwing me into my flash step.

Pyre stepped up alongside of me, sharing in the fire of my flash step which sparked his own. "Well said, Smolder."

"Try not to slow us down." Wick's voice drifted in from my opposite side, engulfed in a blaze of fire.

Bathed in the light of our flames, Null stood silently before us, once again reformed in its husk like state. A low roar started to drift from Null, the Storm churning from within its body, but the sound grew louder with each passing moment. Sounds were suddenly beginning to roll from the raging Storm, words indiscernible by any pony present as it bore down upon their ears like massive drums being struck beside them. Like a sword slowly being drawn out from its sheath, the sounds of the Storm stopped in wailing ring, as Null remained motionless through the whole ordeal.

" _ **So be it.**_ "

Without warning the Storm exploded from the missing limb of Null's torso, spewing like a stream from the crest of a cliff as it raced across the fields away from them. It wasn't long before the Storm had completely left Null's body, leaving only the empty husk before them as it staggered in place, seeming as frail as the paper like skin it sported.

Neither Pyre nor Wick could discern what has taken place. Sapphire's horn brimmed with magic having assumed the Dark King was going to attack, but now every pony looked on in confusion to what had taken place.

"Any pony want to take a guess at what just happened?" Pyre asked.

"The Storm has separated from its host. The opportunity to kill it has presented itself." Wick replied.

"Why would it do that? More importantly, where has it gone?" Sapphire questioned.

Null's husk like skin had him falling to all fours, in his case threes, as his flimsy appearance seemed to me nothing more than a scarred mannequin. There was a feebleness to him now, so weakened that it seemed unable to survive on its own, and for one reason or another I felt pity for him.

Wick was first to flare his mane and step forth. "Destroy the host and the Storm dies with it."

Wick did not hesitate to release a powerful blast of fire upon the crippled figure of Null, bathing him in fire and washing the surrounding area in flames. A familiar magical cipher had bled its way through the flames of Wick's fire, absorbing it through the magical seal and being directed into Null's palm as it coursed through his body. Null's husk body had tightened, sealing the legions within his person, while trickles of embers wafted out from the shoulder of his missing arm and forming veins within the lines of fire. Contracting into a fist, Null's hide formed around the strings of fire, forming a new arm. The Dark King stood before them, a scarred shell of an empty being, that didn't show the slightest bit of fear at the prospect of facing them.

"I was born of eternal light and imbued with the magic of ancient wisdom." Null stated. "I need not the power of the Storm to overcome you meaningless beings."

"Meaningless? Apparently it knows nothing of flame pony pride." Wick declared.

"Nor does it fear our fire." Pyre added.

Raising his newly formed arm towards us, Null beckoned us to attack.

"Show me what pathetic power runs through your veins."

"Wick! Pyre! Let's send this creature back into the abyss!" I shouted.

Null flew forward, his speed having only increased even with the absence of the Storm. My horn brimmed with magic, just as another ice wall sprang up between us, Sapphire already being on the draw. The force of Null's fist shattered the ice wall with ease, striking hard upon my own magical shield, but found that he was unable to break it. Wick and Pyre lunged forward, driving their hooves hard in Null's body and sending him flying back from us.

Fire roared my body, bringing me into my flash step as Wick and Pyre followed suit. Exploding from the spot, three trails of fire streaking across the fields as we collided with Null in a powerful impact. Gripping tightly the hooves of both Wick and Pyre in Null's hands, I was blocked by a shield of dark energy that resembled much of Mira's own magic. Thrusting out my wings I knocked Null's arm away, freeing my brothers from his grasp, and they in turn struck back. Pyre went low kicking Null's knee so hard that it broke backwards as Wick leapt high bucking him in the head that had it snapping almost completely around. With Null's magic fading I let loose a powerful blast of fire that was concentrated by my magic which blasted him several leagues away.

Sapphire's magic swirled past us, forming large spikes that struck the land like rain and puncturing the area. The magic sparked, exploding in a massive show of force as Wick, Pyre, and I charged head long at Null.

From the smoke, Null held two of Sapphire's magical spikes like swords, dark energy sparking from his hands. His leg suddenly snapping back into place as his head spun forward with a sickening snap. It was rather disturbing to say the least but I watched as he through them back at us with great acuity. I leapt into the air, avoiding the first spike while using my own magic to shield myself from the second, the impact threw me through the air but had cancelled out the magic.

Wick dove head first into Null's chest, landing a hard blow before being tossed away like a sack of apples. Having left himself open for a second attack, Pyre dived low, knocking Null from his feet as Sapphire's magic came into play again. Several spells twisted through the air, striking Null repeatedly, each one more devastating then the last, and throwing him higher into the air. The last spell was abruptly caught by Null, clutching it in his hand as he turned over in the air and tossed it down towards the Twins. Sapphire's horn sparked again, creating a barrier between them and her hijacked magic as the resulting explosion shattered the ground around them.

Dark energy sparked from every part of Null, flashing in bursts of speed, as he flew towards Sapphire to quell her interference. The first strike from Null was parried by Sapphire's wing, yet the flurry of strikes that followed were much harder to defend against. Whenever a blow landed against Sapphire, the dark energy pulsing from Null would numb and dull her senses.

Dropping out of the air, I landed between Null and Sapphire, using my wings to catch Null's arm mid way through his punch. A quick blast of fire, followed by a simple spell to knock Null back, before Sapphire and I were on the offensive again. I had taken a page out of Sapphire's book, imbuing my wings with magic, although mine did not become razor sharp, but rather blunt from the dark energy that surrounded them. It was unrefined, raw power that backed my every swing, but it was enough to keep Null from taking the advantage.

Null took the full force of my attacks, blocking many of them, but finding it hard to counter with the weight behind each strike I threw. I felt Null's leg connect with my chest, having lured him in by giving him the opening, and I firmly took hold of his leg. Using me as a stepping stone, Sapphire mantled over me slamming her razor sharp wings together between Null's head. The force of her attack had cracked the helm upon Null's head, forcing him to stagger back grasping his helm, while I used both my magic and strength to drag Null by the leg flinging him away from the two of us.

Sapphire tended to her wings, having shattered the ice that caked them against Null's head, and checking to see if she was hurt during the lull in the fight.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

I didn't occur to me that I was standing so close to Sapphire when I had asked, nor did I realize that I already had her wing in my hoof looking it over to see if she was injured. I could see Sapphire's face flush from my boldness and felt my own mane flare from my absent mindedness.

Sapphire quickly pulled her wing away. "I'm… I'm fine." Sapphire mumbled.

"Cool… cool." I replied.

Wick and Pyre bolted past us, their flash step burning brilliantly as they charged after Null.

"Proposing already, Smolder?" Wick's voice trailed after.

My mane flared so furiously that it sparked my flash step. Sapphire seemed equally surprised and embarrassed, considering what had transpired earlier, and found herself slowly forming frost around her face. Our eyes met for a brief second, before turning away from one another feeling too embarrassed to say anything. I cleared my throat, taking off in a sprint to join my brothers as Sapphire got the hint that we should just focus on the fight.

With the chance of Null consuming more of the Twin's fire, Wick and Pyre relied upon their own strength and stamina to beat the Dark Lord down. Their flash step was more refined than my own, burning constantly and yet flared whenever movement was required. It was a way of conserving energy, something I had yet to master as mine roared with wild abandon.

It was becoming more noticeable that the longer Null fought, the more he was beginning to learn of his own weaknesses, as well as our own. With two of us grounded and without magic, and two more with flight and spells, it was simply a matter of splitting the four of us up. Wick and Pyre struck against Null, throwing hooves, bucks, and even headbutts at him trying to land a solid blow. Even with their speed Null was dodging and countering most of their attacks.

Dark energy sparked from Null's foot, twisting it in the dirt as the ground around him suddenly turned with him. Wick and Pyre lost their footing having felt the earth slide out from under them. Null swung his leg around, striking the Twins in one swipe and knocking them away. I barreled towards him watching him fall into a stance that mimicked Mira's magic casting posture.

" _ **Come!**_ "

I collided with Null, finding myself being held back by a familiar black sphere that shielded him from my attack. Feeling the shield push back, I rolled over the top, before bucking the back of it to send me clear of Null but also testing the strength of his magic. Mira had mentioned in passing that magical shields could be concentrated in certain areas more so than others. Finding a weakness was a matter of directing your attacks and luring your opponent into a false sense of security.

The black sphere split in two, its shape turning two dimensional and forming it large disks that hovered in Null's hands. Tossing one of them towards me, the large black disk sliced through the air coming in low towards my legs. It was easy enough to dodge, but found out too late that these disks were more than just weapons.

Acting like portals, the black disk beneath me erupted with a blast of dark energy that blew me high into the air. The remaining black sphere hovered before Null, his hands outstretched feeding the portal his dark energy showing no signs of letting up.

Sapphire's ice coated wing struck down hard against Null's arm, but his dark aura had prevented it from cutting through. The surge of dark energy flowing from Null ceased, the portals fading from sight as Null took a firm grasp of Sapphire's horn and tossed her to the side. Leaping over Sapphire was Wick who took Null by surprise and tackled him to the ground striking hard against his helm. Pyre had lessened Sapphire's fall by catching her before hitting the ground.

"Are you alright, Lady Sapphire?" Pyre asked.

Sapphire got to her hooves, massaging her horn from the rough way Null had thrown her.

"Yes, I'm alright.' Sapphire replied.

Pyre was suddenly knocked away by Wick's body as he had been tossed by Null. Sapphire attention turned again towards Null. His hands slammed together, drawing them apart, creating a large thin spike of dark energy that he swung over his head like a spear. Sapphire's wings flashed with ice, gleaming from the magic her horn produced as Null charged at her.

Her wings were a good substitute to steel, but it required a lot of concentration to ensure that her ice with thick enough to withstand each with Summer Hearth in swordplay during her academy days had proven extremely fruitful in defending herself against Null's attacks. Blasting a sudden breath of ice at Null's leg, his foot froze the ground and caused him to fall forward dropping his dark energy spear. With a vicious strike to Null's chin, Sapphire had the Dark King leaning back and leaving himself open to her next attack. Whipping her wings from side to side, Sapphire threw her feathered icicles into Null's body constricting him further as the ice began to creep across his body.

Sapphire was summoning a great amount of magic, lightning sparking from her horn and her eyes turning an icy blue. Null's body melted into shadows, catching Sapphire by surprise as his being reformed before her and taking hold of her throat. Her magic fizzled out, striking Null's arm trying to force him to release his hold on her, and gasping for breath.

A sudden blast of fire struck Null hard in the face, having him reel back dropping Sapphire from his hand. Leaping over Sapphire, Wick reared his head back to breathe another blast of fire but found Null's hand taking hold of his throat instead. Pyre rushed in, feeling Null kick him abruptly, bringing the full weight down upon him and pinning him to the ground.

"Your fire is mine now."

Lines of fiery embers began to trace themselves up Null's arm and leg, siphoning the fire within the Twins. With the sudden screech of a phoenix coming from up above, Null had only a second to glance up to see me almost nose to nose with him as I tackled him at full force and driving him hard into the ground. The speed of the impact had me driving Null across the ground, digging up rock and dirt, as my fire scorched his body.

With a solid kick, Null knocked me from him, sending me bouncing away as he finally came to a stop. His body blackened by my fire, seering from the heat, not being able to absorb my fire like he could the Twins. Bringing his hands together I watched as his hands formed complicated gestures and weaved seals around him. It was reminiscent of Mira's own casting of spells as I found myself dreading what was to come.

"Behold the power of an Eternal Master!"

Slamming both hands upon the ground, nine different sigils as vast as villages sprang up across the fields, as the world began to crack and break. One of them had me at the center.

"Eternal Zenith's Heavenly Terrene!"

The sigils began lifting into the air, bringing with it the very foundations of the Kingdom of Naught, creating massive floating islands that rose up ever higher. These floating islands began to form, growing in size, rapidly generating new earth, distorting the very gravity around them as massive islands began to have a pull of their own. The pressure was so intense that it had me flattened upon the ground, struggling to breathe and fight against the force trying to crush me.

This spell of Null's seemed limited, his own power waning from the strain it took to achieve the full effect, and left him struggling to maintain his spell. A flash of multicolored spells struck Null repeatedly, staggering him and knocking him off his feet as his spell remained unfinished.

Twilight, Rarity, and Princess Sapphire stood together, having unleashed a coordinated attack using their magic. Spike was helping Wick to his hooves while Pinkie and Fluttershy were checking on Pyre.

"How did you ponies navigate the tunnels?" Pyre asked.

"We didn't really have to." Spike replied. "We came out of the really big hole over there."

One of the sigils Null had created had torn open a part of the underground tunnel system that allowed the group to have an escape. It proved most advantageous as they were able to assist in stopping Null from completing his spell, to whatever end it would have had.

"We told you to make a run for it." Wick mumbled.

"You also said that we had to get Sparky out of here." Pinkie Pie pointed out.

"And where else would Smolder be if not defending his brothers?" Fluttershy asked.

Wick snorted in disdain for such a sentimental reply. Pyre seemed quite humbled at the idea of these ponies coming to their rescue.

"Where is Smolder?" Twilight asked.

Streams of light flashed overhead, one of the floating islands had erupted in flames, heat the rocks to a molten state. Standing within the fires of this floating island, my horn flashing with magic, and magically rolling the island towards Null. It picked up speed, falling out of the air like a meteor as fire and smoke trailed from it. Spreading out my wings, the wind lifted me into the air, being pulled clear from the fiery earth plummeting towards Null.

"That would be our little brother, showing about as much restraint as our father would." Pyre mentioned.

"I would think the resulting shockwave of the impact would be rather eventful, brother." Wick concluded.

Wick and Pyre dropped low, shielding their heads as every pony dived to the ground following their lead.

Null raised his arms to defend himself against this fiery rock barreling down towards him. Disappearing in a flash of light as the meteor struck him and the earth around him with such force that it broke the entirety of the Kingdom of Naught in two.


	61. Chapter 61: The Dark King Null (Part 2)

The vast mountain ranges of the kingdom of Naught had been sheared away, deep valleys within the land of shadow had turned to rocky terrain, for the shockwave had brutalized the land and at the center of that blast had been Null. A massive crater within the fields of Ouroboros where Null had once stood now marked the large dividing crack that had split the world in two. I floated down to lip of the crater, staring down into the darkness below, watching the world slowly drift apart inch by inch as I searched for signs of the Dark King.

Wick and Pyre emerged from layers of earth and sand, coughing from the amount that found their way into their nose. Princess Sapphire was next, followed by Twilight and Fluttershy, Rarity and Spike sprang up from the dirt along with Pinkie Pie. Each pony shaking and coughing the dirt from their lungs as they surveyed the area.

"Is every pony alright?" Twilight asked.

"Let's go again! Let's go again!" Pinkie Pie chanted.

"All present and accounted for." Pyre replied.

Wiping the sand from his scales, Spike caught a glimpse of a small flame off in the distance where the meteor had struck down.

"Smolder!" Spike shouted. "Hey! Smolder!"

Spike was already running to meet up with him when Wick intercepted him by grabbing onto his tail.

"The fight isn't over, little dragon, it would be best if you stayed back for now." Wick warned.

"Are you saying that it survived that attack?" Rarity asked.

" **Smolder…** "

The voice of Null echoed across the world. From the abyss I could see Null's broken body floating up from the darkness, no more than torso with a shattered helm and shredded pieces of an arm. Strands of embers poured out of Null, it resembled a circulatory system that I had seen in the Infirmary back at Canterlot, although the picture was of ponies and not of this humanoid. With his body reforming itself, I could see that the fractured helm that shielded Null's face had not been fixed along with the rest of him. I could see from the cracks within a single yellow eye fixated upon me, burning in its socket.

" **Why are you merely prolonging the inevitable?** "

I found myself not responding right away. I was not inclined to humor Null with any sort of conversation, but deep down I could hear WIngston's voice urging me to talk.

"I'll accept your unconditional surrender at anytime." I replied.

" **This isn't your world, nor or these creatures your kin, but yet you fight to protect them… to help them. Why?** "

The yellow eye of Null brought back memories of Mira's looking through that small piece of Void glass. Her continuous pleas of asking for help, hearing the fear in her voice that she tried to mask so well, and recognizing that same desperation to save what was left of her home.

"My father made a lot of mistakes. It affected the way the world saw us, how we saw ourselves, and how we felt about others. We were suffering and I was sent to steal a power that promised to save us. What I found was a group of ponies that showed me some kindness and offered me their friendship when I asked for help."

Null's fists clenched, veins of burning embers raced up his arms from his rage.

"We were saved by complete strangers who risked not only their lives, but never asked for anything in return. That's when I decided that I would make that very same promise when I became King, that I would never turn away any pony that asked for help, because I am here because of somepony else."

" **What do you know about suffering? Try living your life bound in chains! Forced to hide your face from the world! Hated by everyone around you! Knowing deep down that you were never meant to exist!** "

I could hear the anger in Null's voice, everything about him screamed rage, but I could see his pain. For how empty Null appeared there was a storm beyond the one that he controlled, a pain raging inside what was left of him, and it felt so familiar to me.

"I know." I said. "I was a mistake too."

Null leaned back, screaming into the empty skies, his anger overwhelming him. Dark energy erupted around him, tracing from the abyss below to the heavens above, lightning crackling around him. Like a shot Null dropped out of the air towards me, the sudden impact broke the ground beneath us. My wings had blocked Null's outreached arms, holding him back as it seemed to only anger him more. Breaking off from the deadlock, Null launched into a tirade of attacks throwing punch after punch and kick after kick at me.

I could feel the rage in every punch Null threw. Something felt off about him. While the idea of beating me down into submission seemed to be his current goal, I couldn't help but feel that there was something else troubling him. While the Storm had yet to return, it seemed as though Null grew stronger with every passing minute and I began to wonder why he seemed to so weak when the two were together.

My thoughts were enough to distract me for a brief moment as I felt Null's kick connect with my chest, fueled by dark energy as the power behind it threw me high into the air. My wings shot open, slowing me, as I turned back to see Null already flying towards me with his arm wretched back and hand clenched into a fist.

The fire upon my wings grew nearly three fold, rolling forward I slammed my fiery wings down upon Null sending him rocketing towards the ground and crashing hard into the dirt. Almost immediately Null was on the offensive again, firing all manner of dark energy bolts up towards me, a barrage scattered wide that proved difficult to dodge.

A flash of my horn had a magical shield surrounding me as the dark energy impacted it like rain upon water. Most of my time training with Mira had been around focusing my magic, I in particular chose to rely on a strong shield above everything else. I relied on my fire as a means to attack and in this case it proved the only real thing that harmed Null in any lasting way. Feeding a strong surge of magic into my shield, it rapidly expanded, before bursting like a bubble and sending a wave of energy through the air. It shattered all of the dark energy being thrown by Null, who in turn was forced to shield himself from the blast.

From the clouds of dust hundreds of fireballs broke through, each one striking the ground around Null and exploding into a pool of fire. Clasping his hands together, Null released a burst of dark energy that blasted the fire away from him, but in so doing discovered that I had hidden myself in one of those very fireballs.

A torrent of fire exploded from my mouth, blasting Null from his feet and pushing him across the field. Even as I landed I didn't let up my attack, forcing Null further and further to the edge as I could feel my fire only growing fiercer with each passing second.

A beam cut through my fire, black as lacquer, expanding rapidly as it split my fire apart, Null sprinting towards me his fist pulsing with black fire. Swinging my wing to meet his fist, I focused my magic to the point where our strikes would meet to reinforce the power behind my strike. The resulting clash sent out a shock wave causing our attacks to stalemate once again. The glow of Null's eye burned from behind his helm, his arm shaking from the fury that burned inside him.

Twisting his body, Null's other arm swung around to strike again as I threw my hoof out to meet it. This time my flash step ignited, feeling the fire already exploding from my hoof as our punches landed and released an fiery explosion that consumed us. In that moment I saw the shell of Null's hand peel away, a familiar silver skin appearing underneath, and the fear that overcame him.

Within the throne room of Castle Char sat several of the most distinguished flame ponies of the kingdom. First was that of Alex Papyrus who had been tasked to search for anything and everything concerning the Void within the dungeons of the castle. Next was General Ray Horizon who had come into her own as a leader and a soldier during the battle with the Orc, Gorun. There was Burning Sand the eldest of the group, charismatic and quite the politician, who had served the realm faithfully for many years. Golden Fleece, the daughter of Argo Fleece, had taken her father's position as head of the Treasury and has continued to manage the financial welfare of the kingdom. Included was the leader of the newly renovated academy and the royal air force Flare Fizzle. Princess Luna and Discord had traveled back from the Summit to aid in the effort to find an alternative means of opening the portal.

"It can't be done." Alex stated.

"Your negativity is not helping." Goldie replied.

"Whether it be six hours or six years it cannot be done. There is simply too much to sort through and there is no guarantee that there is another way of opening the portal."

"Technically, five hours and thirty-four minutes." Burning Sand mentioned.

The entire throne room was filled with stone slates of whatever Alex could dredge up from the dungeons. With Lord Smoke having destroyed any mention of the Void, alongside the Mad King's destruction of much of their history, all that was left was ledgers, letters, and some hidden text to be sorted through. Everypony was lending a hoof in pouring over these slates, hoping to find any mention of the Void, but nothing had been found yet.

"If we cannot find an alternative soon we'll have to abort this whole plan and convene once again to determine what is to be done." Princess Luna said.

"Is everything written in stone?" Discord asked.

"We're not fans of paper." Ray mumbled.

A loud slurping sound was heard as Discord began licking slate after slate. "Obviously you lot are not very keen on dusting either."

"Is that really necessary?" Flare asked sounding disgusted.

"It's how he reads things." Princess Luna stated.

"Would it not be more beneficial to ask that Arcana if there is another way?" Alex suggested.

Picking up another slate to go over, Princess Luna shook her head in dismay. "I've spoken with the Arcana, she claims that the only one capable of opening portals alone is the other Arcana that spoke with Smolder."

"Who in their right minds would make such a ridiculous way of powering these portals?" Ray asked.

"It takes quite a lot of energy to rip open a portal to another dimension." Discord mentioned.

A gently thudding sound was heard, Ray was slowly knocking her head against a stone slate in her hooves having reached the end of her patience. There was nothing for it though, no amount of frustration was going to open the portals, and time crept ever on.

The doors of the throne room slid open, Tea Herbal, Florence Gale, and Christie Chapel entered at the far end of the hall. Each of them carried a platter with small stone cups of tea that Tea herself made.

Each of them took a different side of the room, offering each pony a cup, the smell of jasmine and honey filled the air. It was a welcome distraction from the unprofitable research.

"How's it going?" Tea asked.

"Everyday since the King's disappearance I've been pouring over every single slate I could possibly get my hooves on. I've learned military strategies, cookbook recipes, rock poetry, and even a self help slate for those suffering from acute ember build up but not a single thing about the Void." Alex lamented.

"Acute ember build up?" Chapel asked.

"It's when a flame pony doesn't correctly breathe fire and accumulate embers upon their teeth. It's rather a lot like cavities in regular ponies, except it is the inverse and we have a build up of harden rock." Alex explained.

As interesting as it was to learn of flame pony ailments, the news of no progress was difficult to ignore. Passing over the last cup of tea to Princess Celestia, Tea picked up a slate from the top of the pile to see it referencing measurements of banner hanging heights.

"None of this would be happening if I had taken better care of Smolder's flame." Tea mumbled.

Everypony looked towards Tea sympathetically, knowing that the accident was no fault of her own, but knew how much guilt she was still carrying with her.

Tea felt Princess Luna's hoof touch her shoulder gingerly. "It was a gift, nothing more. It was meant to be treasured by you, not guarded. We will find another way."

Her words were enough to make Tea smile. Chapel and Florence were already helping in searching through the stacks of slates for any clues to the Void. Tea moved herself closer to Alex's pile, the largest of within the room, feeling that her chances would be better there.

Oddly enough, the first stack of slates that Tea came across were rather new, thinner and much more sleek then the others. It bore no title, yet the slates inside seemed to detail the events that had taken place during the return of the Mad King many months ago.

"What's this?" Tea asked.

Alex leaned over his stack of slates, a sudden flourish of his flames erupted from his mane from embarrassment as he stumbled over his own hooves to reach her.

"That -that -that is nothing! Please put it down!" Alex stammered.

Tea easily sidestepped the fumbling Alex who found himself falling face first into a stack of slates having failed to retrieve his side project.

"What is it?" Ray asked curiously.

"It seems like the beginning of a history book, detailing the events that happened during the return of the Mad King and Smolder's rise to power." Tea explained looking at it more thoroughly.

"Are you authoring this particular text, Papyrus?" Burning Sand questioned.

Alex got to his hooves looking rather mortified. "I-I-I can't say that it is of any quality. I felt responsible for keep a detailed record of our current history, seeing as we don't have much of an old one."

"I find that rather commendable, Mr. Papyrus." Princess Luna praised him.

"It even has references." Tea mentioned. "It even has first hand accounts from particular flame ponies."

Alex attempted to take the book from Tea once more, but was outmaneuvered again as she walked off with it.

"You went around asking ponies to recall their experiences during that time?" Flare asked.

"Only a few ponies, General Hearth was the best source for much of it. I haven't had much time to really flesh out the battle with the Orc, but I feel rather confident about the prior chapter." Alex confided.

Ray lit up at the idea. "Were you going to interview us?"

"I have some rather important things to add if this is going to be recorded for future generations." Flare insisted.

"I can't be as important as being on the front lines." Ray countered.

"That can be a side note, the strategies used to win that battle is what future flame ponies should be interested in."

Ray was already on her hooves, nose to nose with Flare who in turn was refusing to back down.

"The only side note worth noting is your ademdom for the requisition for time off to be filed a week in advance as being the most asinine thing a Academy Leader has ever done." Ray barked.

"Perhaps if you were on time to the daily security briefings for once you'd actually be able to take part in some of these discussions." Flare snapped back. "Instead of playing hide the salt lick with Solar."

Flames were surging from both Flare and Ray now, the two becoming rather irritated with one another. Goldie did her best to try and calm them, offering them their own personal recounts of the battle to be submitted on slates and allow Mr. Papyrus to sort it out.

Alex was quick to intervene stating that history books were about the factual accounts of what had taken place and that flame ponies tend to exaggerate their stories due to their pride. This only further fueled Flare and Ray's frustration with the idea that either them would be untruthful of their accounts of the battle that Alex was implying.

Tea had taken the book to Florence and Chapel to see how detailed Mr. Papyrus had been detailing the events of the return of the Mad King. It appeared that Mr. Papyrus was something of an artist himself, as their were rather detailed etchings of the significant moments chiseled into parts of the slates to reference the material.

The events of the Mad King's return had been published by many pony news sources after the fact. Much of what had transpired seemed to crossover many of the articles Tea had read, while only minor details differing from paper to paper. Turning the next slate over, Tea found herself staring at a rather familiar sight that had been plastered on many of the headlines, but all of them had different takes to what it was.

"What happened here?" Tea asked curiously.

Flare had a firm grasp on the collar of Mr. Papyrus's newly tailored vest, while Ray looked ready to clobber him by the way she massaged her hooves. Fortunately, Alex noticed that picture that Tea had been referencing and got ecstatic over the idea of sharing some of his knowledge.

"This particular image harkens to the moment where Lord Smolder had broken free from his earthly bounds, figuratively of course, and reemerged to us a new pony. His red fire now resembling that of his mother's. A very warm and inviting yellow fire that washed over the fields and every pony. It also brought about wings for-"

The loudest raspberry suddenly escaped from Discord's mouth, tongue flapping like flag caught in the high breeze as he sprayed his tea all over the place. Princess Luna was quick with her magic to shield most of the splash zone while everypony else held up slates to shield themselves.

"Discord!" Princess Luna shouted.

"I've just thought of it! I cannot believe it, it's been right under my nose this entire time!" Discord exclaimed.

"What's it talking about?" Rav asked nauseatingly.

Discord threw out his his chest in triumph. "I know how we're going to open the portal!"

Everypony fell silent. Looking at Discord as if he had been playing a rather cruel joke on them, but his triumphant persona persisted beyond a comparable punchline.

"Then tell us, Discord, how do we open the portal?" Princess Luna asked.

"Why with you and you and you and you and you…"

Discord quickly pointed to Alex, Burning Sand, Flare, and Ray before turning on his claw to Goldie.

"But not you, sorry."

No pony seemed to understand what Discord was talking about, nor did they see why four flame ponies were needed but not a fifth.

"Why can't Goldie help? Wouldn't it be better to have an extra flame pony?" Flare asked.

"You are absolutely right, that's why we're going to get every flame pony in this kingdom to help us. Sweet Celestia, I am so smart that I simply can't believe it at times." Discord stated.

"You still haven't told us what your plan is Discord." Princess Luna insisted.

Discord quickly slithered over to Tea, taking a firm hold of her hooves as he forced her to lift the book once again to show them the picture.

"This is it!" Discord exclaimed.

"What?" Alex asked looking puzzled. "Lord Smolder isn't here."

Discord disappeared on the spot before reappearing before Mr. Papyrus. "Technically that isn't completely true."

Turning around to face the others, Discord was now wearing a full military garb with big sunglasses and a corn cob pipe. Instinctively, Ray and Flare snapped to attention, but found themselves cursing under their breath at Discords antics.

"General Ray Horizon and Admiral Flare, gather up your armies, round up the civilians, and have them meet us at the Obelisks. Time is not on our side so be quick about it." Discord commanded.

Ray and Flare looked at one another, feeling like they should do as they were asked.

"Enough games, Discord, tell us what you have discovered." Princess Luna demanded.

"Mr. Papyrus, tell me what are the origins of the flame pony? To be more precise, how was it that the flame ponies came to be?" Discord questioned him.

"Well, uh, let's see the old story goes that the Elder Dragon Char had taken pity on a village of ponies that had gotten caught in the volcanoes eruption, having been turned to stone from the intense heat. It was through the Elder Dragon's magic that it shared its fire with us and-"

"That's it!" Discord shouted.

"What's it? Burning Sand asked.

"The Elder Dragon shared its fire with you ponies, but as I recall, during the Mad King's short lived return he took away every flame ponies fire." Discord began. "Which means that when our little statue of a prince decided to make his triumphant return, his fire that swept across the fields and reignited everypony."

There was a sudden silence of realization that came over every pony in the room. Smolder had shared his fire with every flame pony that the Mad King had stolen from, all except for Goldie who had not been present at the time. It would stand to reason that their fire was in some way a bit of Smolder's at least to a point and could potentially be used to open the portal again.

Princess Luna looked rather uneasy about the idea. "Discord… this is a huge gamble, we don't know if this is going to work. We can't ask the flame ponies to give up their fire again to open-"

"That's why we gather every pony in the Ashen Fields, we have them share just a bit of their fire. Surely every flame pony in the kingdom would be more than enough to power this portal. This has to work, there is no other option, we either try or we'll be forced to call it off." Discord explained.

Princess Luna looked to every pony, seeing their hopeful and yet unsure glances at this plan. There was no time to test it. It would have to work or three portals across Equestria would open and the plan would fail right then and there. Although, if by some miracle it did work, it would give them the fighting chance they needed to succeed in rescuing every pony.

"What do you say, Princess Luna?" Discord asked.

"Gather the flame ponies. We're opening the portal." Princess Luna stated.

Large gusts of wind carrying the residual heat of Smolder's flames washed over everypony, it was hot dry heat that lacked all moisture in the air. Laced within the heat was this feeling of despair and emptiness from the dark energy that lingered in the air.

"I'm failing to see how any pony can take this creature down presently." Rarity remarked.

"I think Smolder has a pretty good idea." Spike mumbled.

A blast of wind rushed across the fields, causing everypony to shield their faces as the all manner of sand and rock flew past them. Each passing moment the battle between Null and Smolder was becoming more intense.

Sapphire turned to every pony, flaring her wings to get their attention. "Twilight, Rarity, the three of us need to circle around the left side of the fields and find an opening to assist Smolder. While Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy will-"

"Every pony needs to stay put." Pyre interrupted her.

"Stay put? You're not seriously suggesting that we-"

"Can't you feel the fire that Smolder is currently producing?" Wick interrupted her.

It wasn't hard to feel the heat that was coming from the battle between Null and Smolder. With each blast that swept over the fields, the residual heat that hadn't dispersed told of how intense the fire Smolder was putting out burned. Clearly, if any pony was to get closer to the fighting, they'd be burned by the heat alone or worse.

"Our brother is starting to realize just how strong he is. Mad as our father may be, our line has always been one strength and wisdom, while our brother seems to have at least one of those qualities, its safe to say he's coming into his own with this power." Pyre explained.

"Smolder will not be able to keep this up forever, which means we must take advantage of this opportunity." Wick added.

"If we can't get close enough to help Smolder, then what can we do?" Fluttershy asked.

"Finding Princess Celestia and the rest of your friends is the best option we have right now. With her help, Wick and I will be able to assist Smolder until the portals are open. The rest of you will need to stay out of the fight and not allow Null to capture you." Pyre explained.

With yet another explosion rocking the fields, it was clear that having every pony together again would be the best option. Wick and Pyre motioned for the others to begin following them, but found Sapphire stepping back in defiance.

"I'm not leaving him." Sapphire stated.

"Lady Sapphire, I cannot deny the loyalty and strength of an Ice Pony, but I do know that Smolder would never forgive himself if he harmed you or any of these ponies. Indirectly or otherwise." Pyre reasoned with her.

"I'm not asking for your permission, Lord Pyre." Sapphire replied.

Before the Twins could argue their point further with her the sound of the Storm broke over the fields. Every pony was looking towards Smolder and Null in the distance as the two had ceased their battle for the moment.

Spiraling upwards from the abyss the Storm was making its presence known once more. Lightning cracked and flashed from the split within the earth, with the Storm groaning and howling, reaching up towards Null. The sheer scale of the Storm was unbelievable, it spanned nearly the whole of the split within the world. The air trembled from the roar of the Storm, it brought Null to his knees clutching his silver at the base where the corruption hadn't been renewed.

" **I don't know… I don't know... I don't know...** "

Null cowered from the sight of his own hand, while the Storm seemed to speak to him through the groaning of its power and bolts of lightning that flashed within. Slowly lifting his silver hand into the air a strand of the Storm lashed out consuming Null's hand as his cries of pain rang out. I could not help but feel anger at the sight of it.

A sudden flourish of my flames had surprised the Storm as the clouds retreated from Null, but his hand was once more husk like. Clutching it to his chest, Null got back to his feet, breathing heavily as he paced backwards to the edge of the split. Stepping of the edge of the clifface, Null was levitated into the air by the Storm, his yellow eye still trained on me.

" **This is where you die, Fire King.** "

Massive claws reached over the side of the cliff face, smashing down on either side of me. The ground beneath me was starting to give way from the impact as I leaped back fanning my wings to carry me further back. From within the Storm I could see a gigantic crown of horns rising from the abyss. A massive head, scales as black as the night, it's tattered and torn leathery wings being lifted every higher by the Storm. I was once more face to face with the Great Dragon Char.

It appeared lifeless, its right arm still twisted from when the Storm had broken it to drag it through the portal. Legions of its scales had been torn away as if it had been eaten from the inside out.

Null drifted down to the brow of the Great Dragon Char. Slamming the palm of his hand upon the head of the dragon, the Storm funneled through Null's back and fed into the dragon through his arm. The neck of the Great Dragon Char started to bulge, the Storm flaring out from beneath the scales, as it climbed the rest of the way over the edge. I was already leaping away watch the wings of the dragon become coated with the Storm, and its missing eyes flared with the dark clouds. The jaws of the Elder Dragon opened up, spewing the Storm like fire from its throat as its roar was mixed in with the thunderous groan of the Storm.


	62. Chapter 62: The Dark King Null (Part 3)

Taking to the sky I flew towards the Forgotten City, watching the Storm infused Elder Dragon, or as I had dubbed it the Storm Dragon, violently struggling to move after me. Its crippled arm prevented it from putting any weight beneath it. Even so it slithered across the ground like a serpent, using its remaining limbs to lurch it forward. It's massive wings could no longer take flight, its leathery wing membrane had been torn too severely and offered nothing but extra appendages to swing. Every inch of the dragon spewed clouds of the Storm, lightning breaking within its eyes and mouth as it snapped wildly after me. All the while Null remained stationary upon its brow, orchestrating his hand movements as if puppeteering the Elder Dragon beneath him.

I flipped myself sideways, rolling hard to the right and just narrowly avoiding the momentous jaws of the Elder Dragon slamming closed on me. My magic flashed, swinging my head in an arcing motion and casted a spell that sliced through the air like a sword. Its impact left nothing more than magical residue upon the dragon's snout, its scales were still impervious to magic and offered a whole new level of difficulty to me.

From the corner of my eye I saw the mass of the Elder Dragon's tail come sailing out of the air towards me. My magical sphere encapsulated me just as the tail struck down and spiked the black orb into the ground like a tennis ball. The magic shattered once hitting the ground while the force of the blow sent me bouncing across the fields.

" _ **Insignificant…**_ "

Picking myself off the floor, brushing the sand from my face, my mind racing for how I was going to overcome this. His advantage being the Elder Dragon, coated with magical scales, unbelievable strength, and powered solely by the Storm. My advantage were my friends. Null's attention was focused solely on me, it didn't consider any pony else a threat now, and that's where my advantage was.

I could feel the ground beneath me quaking from the dragon's haggard steps. The puppet dragon carcass was sluggish and lacked all manner of dragon qualities other than its body. This meant it's movements were broad, predictable, lacking any defensive style due to it being already dead, but most importantly lacked the fiery will of a Elder Dragon.

As the Storm Dragon towered over me I caught a glimpse at its underbelly, seeing several lesions of missing scales and hide where the Storm festered within. Taking the chance I let loose a stream of fire that impacted the area as the Storm within roared in agony and in turn caused the dragon recoil away nearly toppling over onto its side.

The dragon wasn't merely used to overwhelm me with size and strength, it acted like a shield to the Storm to be able to get near me without being harmed. A sudden flourish of dark energy sparked from Null's arm, feeding into the head of the Storm Dragon, before erupting from its jaws in a devastating show of force. The dark energy traced itself through the air, the Storm attempting to direct the blast in my direction, it appeared that the two were not in sync with one another's efforts to kill me. Dropping into my flash step I bolted across the fields watching the beam of energy swing over head and draw itself through the Forgotten City. The blast had the ruined buildings blown from their foundation, churning up a rock and dirt, hurdling debris throughout the rest of city. Driving my hooves hard into the dirt, I slid across the ground turning back around to face the Storm Dragon as it lumbered after me.

* * *

A stunned silence hung over the Twins and the other ponies at the emergence of the thought to be dead Elder Dragon. Watching the small flame of Smolder's lure the dragon away everypony seemed at a loss to what needed to be done.

"You've got to be kidding! Just what the hay is going on?" Spike hollered clawing at his face.

"Is that he Elder Dragon? How can it still be… alive?" Rarity questioned.

"I don't think it is." Twilight replied.

"Oh my…" Fluttershy whispered.

Princess Sapphire looked on, feeling the enormity of the situation quickly spiraling out of control, and feeling herself wanting to back down from her bold statement of staying. Sapphire watched as the dragon's tail swatted Smolder from the sky and knocking him across the field and she felt a fire suddenly burning in her heart.

"Alright! Listen up everypony, we don't have much time and what I'm about to ask you puts all of us at great risk." Sapphire began. "I have a plan but it's going to require everypony's help to succeed."

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Spike all looked to one another for encouragement, nodding their heads in approval of their decision to go for it. The Twins remained silent, complacent to allowing Sapphire to take charge as her attitude became very authoritative and confident.

"Here's what we're going to do."

* * *

 **"Pinkie Pie and Rarity, this fight isn't just our own, this involves the Void Walkers as well. I need the two of you to appeal to the Void Walkers, convince them to help us, and if you are able to succeed then the dragon will surely fall."**

Rarity and Pinkie Pie hurried across the fields towards the Forgotten City. Their part in this plan required garnering the help of the Void Walkers, and that meant having to enter the Forgotten City which just so happened to be where Smolder had lured the dragon to keep them out of harm's way.

"Do you think think Princess Saphire's plan is going to work?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I'm most certainly hope so. I'm not sure what were to do if it doesn't." Rarity replies.

"Why don't we just asked Princess Celestia?" Pinkie Pie offered.

From a few miles out of the Forgotten City, Princess Celestia led the pack with Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and Applejack at her back. There was yet another companion that rode atop Princess Celestia's back, but it was not Wingston. Having spot them from the bleak and black fields with little difficulty, Princess Celestia was already moving to intercept them.

"Is everypony alright? Where are the others?" Princess Celestia asked hastily.

"Princess Sapphire, Twilight, and Spike are with the Twins and safe for the moment, but we are attempting to assist Smolder with a plan that Sapphire came up with." Rarity informed her.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were quick to hug Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie before grabbing hold of Rarity being relieved that their friends were alright.

The small creature upon Princess Celestia's back floated down to Rarity. "What plan?"

"Hello? I… don't believe we've met." Rarity asked.

Mira narrowed her eyes at Rarity and Pinkie Pie. This wasn't so much aggravation over them, but their appearance. Pinkie Pie was nothing but smiles, which harkened back to her time before the Storm where she was more bubbly and approachable. On the other hoof, Rarity just oozes radiance, to the few ponies Mira had seen she knew she was beautiful on a whole other level. While most Arcana varied slightly in appearance, more so in personality, they did have their own insecurities and Mira was feeling very attacked just by looking at them.

"This is Mira, an Arcana, and the being Smolder was speaking to within the ruined Void Mirror." Princess Celestia introduces her.

"Malachi has mentioned the Arcana, but only briefly. Do you happen to know him?" Rarity asked.

Mira scoffed at the question. Her refusal to answer made it clear she didn't know who she spoke of or cared to.

"We haven't the time for , detail us with what this plan is." Princess Celestia stated.

"We're supposed to be finding the Void Walkers and asking for their help in getting-" Pinkie Pie began.

"You're wasting your time with them." Mira cut her off.

"How- How can you be sure?" Rarity questioned her.

"Turns out the Void Walkers were the ones that let the cat out of the bag about us hiding underground. It looks like they're out for themselves now." Applejack told them.

Rarity turned to Pinkie Pie, feeling that their encounter with Malachi had painted a very different picture to what the Void Walkers were.

"We're still going to try, Princess Celestia. Twilight and the others are going to help Smolder stop the dragon and the evil creature Null. I'm sure that they will need your help more than us." Rarity explained.

"I cannot in good conscience leave any of you ponies behind." Princess Celestia remarked.

A blast of wind suddenly swept past everypony, nearly toppling them over as flashes of light brightened the area softly from Smolder's fire. Their battle was taking place several miles out, but this was the closest anypony had gotten to them thus far.

Daring Do was so awestruck by the sight of the Elder Dragon that she hadn't even taken out her journal to make any sort note or documentation of it. "It's incredible…"

"Whatever you colorful ponies are going to do you better do it quick. We need to get to Smolder." Mira urged them.

"I ain't going to be much help against this here dragon, Princess Celestia. I'll head back with Rarity and Pinkie Pie to where we last saw the Void Walkers and see if we can't get them roped into this here rodeo." Applejack offered.

Princess Celestia's feelings over the matter did not change, having another pony join them and break off from the group only cemented her idea of not splitting up.

"If you're heading back to the city then keep heading south from the entrance we just came from. The apple pony knows where it's at. Follow that road and it will bring you to the Obelisks that reside there. Whether or not the Void Walkers choose to help, you can wait there until the portals open and get out safely." Mira instructed them.

"Right." Applejack nodded her head.

Mira pointed towards Princess Celestia. "Princess Prissy here will need to distract the dragon."

Princess Celestia flushed. "I beg your pardon?"

"Loud mouth and hat pony. You'll need to be fast to knock Null off the top of the dragon's head. It will sever his connection with the Storm and the dragon will be less of a threat. Do you think you're fast enough?"

"Loud mouth? Fast? Do you know who you're talking to?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't want to learn your names!" Mira shouted back.

Something similar had been said to Pinkie Pie and Rarity during their time with Malachi. It not only seemed to be a way of coping for the Void Walkers, but the Arcana as well.

"It's because it makes it harder to say goodbye, right?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Mira recoiled from the question. Her face noticeably more confused if not surprised by Pinkie Pie's assumption.

"Malachi told us something similar. Having to say goodbye to so many friends… it was just easier to just forget." Rarity explained.

Mira clenched her fists. Frustration seemed to come over her as Rainbow Dash let it a long drawn out 'O' for all to here.

"You're just pretending to not care so that you sound all tough and cool, right? Well let me tell you something, you'll need to remember the name Rainbow Dash because I'm going to become a-"

Mira floated forward looking very distressed, almost fearful. "Are you fast enough or not?"

"Of-Of course I am."

"Because that Storm may not be able to touch Smolder, but it can devour you or any of us in an instant! You have to be fast enough to get close to Null and clear out before the Storm can… can..."

It had become all too clear that Mira's concern was for Rainbow Dash's safety, for all their safety. In her own callus way she tried to hide her concern with name calling, but it didn't mask the fact that what she was asking of Rainbow Dash would put her in harm's way.

Mira wiped her eyes hissing to herself. "Just be fast enough."

"You're looking at a future Wonderbolt. Nothing's going to catch me."

Daring Do nudged Rainbow Dash's with her arm, giving her an approving nod of confidence.

"Even if she gets herself into a spot of trouble, I'll be there to pull her out of it." Daring Do reassured her.

* * *

Hundreds of flame ponies stood within the Ashen Fields, having been directed by both Academy Leader Flare Fizzle and General Ray Horizon as a matter of grave importance. It was rather difficult for many to drop everything to heed this request, but many had had shown up with crowds more following in a hurry. The bulk of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Soldier ponies were at the front while civilian ponies were still gathering around the back.

Private First Class Cosmic, Private Nightshade, and Specialist Peanut had somehow talked their way into coming to help in the efforts to save Smolder and the others trapped there. Cosmic had asked Goldie Fleece to request them specifically to help in the effort to save their King and for one reason or another Goldie had gotten it done. It came as a surprise to Cosmic, seeing as their relationship was rather new, obviously not a romantic one, but Goldie had done him a rather large favor without asking for anything in return. Upon their arrival, Nightshade had the dubious task of explaining why and how they were in the Ashen Fields to Princess Luna, while Peanut had the opportunity to acquaint himself with Gleam Fizzle. Cosmic on the other hoof found himself in a rather awkward situation, being the Goldie had her hooves full of preparations and cost expenditure for the work that would be missed due to the need of every flame pony having to present.

With every flame pony beginning to arrive, Cosmic had spotted the opportunity to approach Goldie who herself had seem to finally catch a break from all this. Tiff Pitchstone had brought some of his fresh grape juice to help ease every pony's troubles a bit, offering Goldie a cup of it with a reassuring smile.

"Ms. Fleece, I never believed I would see your father's equal to the tasks set before him, but surely you have gone above and beyond these last few weeks. All with a smile." Tiff complimented.

Taking the cup from Tiff, Goldie smiled weakly at him, having been pushed her own limits from the amount of work she had been doing.

"I appreciate your kind words, Mr. Pitchstone. When this is all over I'm sure everything will settle down and I'll only have to worry about tax season rolling around." Goldie replied.

Cosmic strolled up next to Goldie, feeling his heart already racing in his chest. "Hey… Goldie…"

In the middle of a drink, Goldie glanced over to see Cosmic's face, her mane flared and her reaction was of panic. Choking on her drink and spraying a mist of grape juice in Cosmic's face, Goldie backed away coughing while covering her mouth in embarrassment. Tiff cringed at them, feeling the embarrassment of the two.

"I'll… go get a towel." Tiff offered.

Cosmic wasn't drenched like during their first meeting, but the grape mist was rather refreshing in some sort of weird and possibly creepy way to him. Although, Goldie's horrified face said it all on how she felt about what had happened.

"We… we got to stop meeting like this." Cosmic joked.

"Cosmic-Cosmic I'm so… so sorry! I-I wasn't expecting you to be so…" Goldie was stumbling for words. "... so close."

Wiping his face with his arm, finding that his metal bracers offered little to wipe away the grape juice, and attempting to use his hoof was met with a metal horseshoe. A sharp whistle suddenly rang out as Tiff tossed Goldie a flame resistant towel that Stitch Rose Shay had released a week prior.

"Let me get get that for you." Goldie offered.

Wiping Cosmic's face with the towel, Goldie's face was rather flushed as her mane flared continuously flared. Cosmic's heart was already in overdrive just by the mere touch of her hoof through the towel.

"I wanted to say thanks for helping us get permission to come over here." Cosmic said. "I-I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. I wanted to."

Cosmic paused for a moment. His heart suddenly doing a summersault. "Wanted to what?"

"What?" Goldie asked.

"You-You said you wanted to. Why?"

Goldie had a rather plationic statement ready to go, something about wanting them to be here to help Lord Smolder, their friend escape the Void, and that it was no big deal seeing as they were friends, but something truthful had slipped out.

"To see you."

Cosmic's face turned so red that it almost gave off a glow, while Goldie's own face burned almost red hot from what she had said. She was now desperately trying to find a way to make her statement less revealing.

"It-It-It has been a while since the party and we had fought-fought- fought all those spiders together and I felt that we really connected…"

Again something truthful had found its way to slip out of her. Cosmic's ears were pounding from how hard his heart was beating. Taking a rather bold step forward towards Goldie, she immediately discerned his intent and covered her face with the towel to avoid him getting any ideas.

"Mister Bob Cosmic, I would like to take this time to remind you that we are in a public setting among many of our peers that we see everyday and have to socialize with. Any and all public displays will be witnessed by everypony and more so cause you harm with any sort of physical contact you are attempting to make!" Goldie warned him.

Cosmic stared into her eyes peering from over the towel. Words from long ago, when he everypony else had first met Smolder in that mountain cave, of how flame ponies had to accept the fact that they couldn't be like everypony else. How some ponies had a lot of chances to be happy, and how some didn't even get the one. Cosmic didn't want to this to be his one.

Cosmic leaned in, kissing her quickly through the towel, feeling her lips just on the other side before pulling back and feeling a cold sweat suddenly break out over his burning face. Goldie seemed frozen in place, staring at Cosmic wide eyed and in almost disbelief.

A sharp whistle cut through the silence, a few ponies hooping and hollering at the two of them. Cosmic swallowed hard, feeling that he might have taken a step too far when Goldie whipped the towel around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. Her arms rested on the towel, while her chin rested on his shoulder, gently swaying back and forth with him.

Cosmic couldn't help but smile a huge grin. He knew his armor would eventually heat up if he tried to hold her too long, but found himself putting his arms around her and returning the affection.

"I told you they were cute together." Gleam said.

Peanut and Gleam Fizzle stood off a ways, having watched their whole little affair unfold. Decorated in his armor, Peanut also wore a rather fetching cape, specially made from Stitch Rose Shay and with it he used it to hold Gleam's hoof.

"I think she just feels bad for always dousing him with drinks." Peanut replied.

Gleam leaned onto Peanut's arm, draped with his cape to allow her to rest her head without worry.

"At least they're honest with each other. Could you imagine having to talk circles around each other just to find a way to say 'I like you'?" Gleam asked.

"I thought I was being a little forward when I said it to you." Peanut replied.

"Nah, you were cute." Gleam reassured him. "You also have nice strong arms."

Peanut squeezed Gleam's hoof a little tighter, letting her know how much affection he had for her in that moment. Gleam lifted her head from his shoulder, looking up at Peanut with a smile.

"I've been taking lessons with Ice Ponies on how to control my fire better. Just like how they aren't spewing out ice all the time. Eventually, they say I'll be able to have it low enough to not burn any pony." Gleam informed him.

"Well I hope it's soon." Peanut replied. "It's getting really hard for me to not kiss you."

"You'll burn yourself, Peanut."

"It would be worth it."

Gleam rocked Peanut a bit, smiling lovingly at him. "I'll get there. I promise."

The crowd of flame ponies started to move. Everypony making way for General Horizon and Academy Leader Flare escorting Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor through the crowds towards the center of the Obelisks. Discord magically appeared in a sudden plume of white smoke that erupted from the ground just as Princess Luna reached the front of the congregation.

With a small show of her power, Princess Luna's horn shined a dark blue as her wings fanned open to bring the populace of flame ponies to attention. From the position of the sun, as well as the clock Discord had swinging from his claws like a pendulum there was only fifteen minutes left before the portals from around Equestria would be opening.

"Thank you all for coming under such short notice, time is of the essence so we must be brief to what we are here to do!" Princess Luna began.

Princess Luna was currently using her royal canterlot voice to be heard from far and wide. There were already murmurs running through the crowds at to what that might be.

"In about fifteen minutes, several portals across Equestria will become active in the attempt to rescue Lord Smolder, Princess Celestia, Wingston, and many others from the Void. To do this we need your help!"

Now a sudden wave of surprise seemed to pass through every flame pony at this news, considering that almost every pony knew that the King was the only one able to open it.

"During the return of the Mad King, your fire was taken from you, and it is our belief that Smolder shared some his fire with each and every one of you that day. From this we believe that these Obelisks will respond to a joint effort from every flame pony if everyone is willing to give just a bit of their own fire to do it! But this will require almost every flame pony if this is going to work, too few and we run the risk of seriously injuring those willing to help."

There was a surge in the crowds of flame ponies near the back feeling nervous at the idea of having to put too much into the Obelisks themselves.

"We'll give as much as we can, our soldiers are willing to give more for those still unsure." Ray stated.

"We'll run the risk of having ponies giving it their all and seriously injuring themselves in the process." Flare countered.

"We're not going to get another chance at this, we're not going to have the time to convince every pony individually so we'll need some pony who's going to give one hay of a pep talk and have it come in under the time limit." Shining Armor remarked.

"General Hearth is up at the Frozen North and Wingston is stuck within the Void as well. Our two best options are unavailable, and I am not sure Burning Sand will have any better luck then we do." Princess Luna commented.

"I'll do it. How do you do that loud voice thingy?" Ray asked in a huff.

"You're not going to get any pony out here if you start talking down to them. Many of them are young and sacred. Their fire was taken from them by force once and it might just happen again." Flare argued.

"We don't have time for this we need to get them here now!" Ray snapped back.

Discord magically whipped up a microphone in his claw, looking to Princess Luna for confirmation on what to do next. Finding it difficult as it was with barely half the flame ponies, Princess Luna knew that it was going to have to be enough for this to move forward.

"Can I say something?"

Nightshade stepped up from the group of soldier flame ponies. Time was still ticking and Nightshade was definitely not a flame pony, but he was friend to Smolder since nearly the beginning. Nodding to Nightshade, Princess Luna motioned to Discord to give him the mic. There was a loud feedback from the mic that quieted every flame pony as Nightshade faced them ready to speak.

"I'm Private Nightshade, a soldier from Canterlot, and I'm getting married within the year."

There was a sudden whoop from Cosmic off near the side that made several ponies chuckle.

"Your King, my friend, I would like to invite to my wedding because he's the reason I have a special somepony in the first place. When I met him, he seemed rather sad, and at first I thought it was because he couldn't be with the pony he liked. Being a flame pony and all."

Christie Chapel, Florence Gale, and Tea Herbal were inside Castle Char at the insistence of every pony. None of them wanting these three ponies getting harmed in any way once the portal was open. Tea listened with a sad smile, thinking back to that day when Nightshade had gotten hurt protecting Smolder and how guilty he felt.

"As it turns out, he was worried about all of you. Everything he did, he did for you ponies. Carrying all of your hopes and dreams with him to the Summit, fighting hundreds of spiders, fighting his dad, an Orc, a dragon, and now he's fighting again… and I can't help him. I don't know if I've ever been able to help him."

There was a sadness in Nightshade's voice, doubt that seemed register quite well with everypony. For everything Smolder had done or tried to do was for their benefit. Even with the battle with the Orc, every pony fought to keep what Smolder had helped bring about, but they had lost him in the process.

"If you ponies give even just a little, open it just a bit, and I promise you I'll bring him back here myself." Nightshade said.

A pride of a flame pony runs deep. It was reflected in every action they took. It defines who a flame pony is and what sort of pony they will become. Nightshade's words registered on a deep, almost primal level of every flame pony. It spoke of loyalty, courage, and selflessness. It was all things Smolder had strived to be, it was what Nightshade swore to do, and it had become the courage they needed.

"But I might need some help getting the rest of them out." Nightshade concluded.

Princess Luna placed her hoof on Nightshade's shoulder, beaming at him for his honest and heartfelt words. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor stepping forward to show that they would be helping Nightshade save these ponies. Ray and Flare were quick to follow. In unison the soldier ponies and royal air force cried out in a single voice, a loud guttural grunt that showed that they would help as well.

From the civilian flame ponies at the back, manes were beginning to flare, mixed cries of support were rising in volume. Stomping of hooves rocked the ground, chants were coming from groups of soldiers ponies and fiery war cries were being shouted by others.

With a large wrist watch upon Discord's arm, the time was nearly knew. "It's almost time, Princess."

Taking a step forward to address the flame ponies one last time, Princess Luna raised her wings to give some final words of encouragement.

"When things seem dire, we look to those we can depend upon, and at this moment Smolder is looking to you all."

The flames of the flame ponies roared together, almost becoming one massive flame spread across the crowds. A force was suddenly drawing their flames towards the Obelisks, gathering their fire between the two pillars, as the green markings began to etch themselves across the sleek black sides.

* * *

The sun was just overhead of the jungle. A ray of light shining in from the top of the hidden valley where every jungle pony stood at the edge of the drained lake watching the red markings of their Obelisks begin to creep up the sides. Chieftain Talon, along with his jungle warrior ponies stood at the ready, waiting for the portal to be open. Tier floating beside him, her hands clenched tightly on his shoulder, anxious to what was about to unfold.

* * *

On the outskirts of Trottingham, the moon hung was high overhead, with the Obelisks brimming with purple markings waiting for the command to be opened by the Duke. With him were the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers stood at the ready, awaiting for their Commander Arthur Tullius to give the word to march upon this Storm.

"It's now or never." The Duke mumbled.

Stepping up to the Obelisks the Duke cleared his throat. "Alright! Let's get on with it!"

The Obelisks flashed, purple lighting suddenly surging from the pillars as a dark orb appeared within the center of the two.

* * *

In the Frozen North, the once avoided White Walk was now teaming with every military branch Lord Tundra could possibly bring before the Obelisks. Lady Frost had tried to reason with him about the technical over preparedness her husband had gone to, but he insisted that it was to get his baby back. The Court Wizard Floe stood out with both Lady Frost and Lord Tundra, feeling his heart racing to get the chance to rescue his sister from the Void.

Warrick Hearth and Summer Hearth stood side by side on the front line just behind the royal family, waiting for the portals to be opened. Beside them was their father, Coal Hearth and their uncle General Hearth. Standing beside Warrick was Wendy Sleet, having only allowed Warrick to come out today if she was there beside him. It was a rather nonsensical request, but having here did put his fears at ease. Commander Sleet approached the royal family to inform them of the time.

"My Lord and Lady. It is time."

Lord Tundra raised his wings, armed with the knowledge that is two sets of the Obelisks were powered by the sun and moon, the flames of a flame pony king would unlock their portal, then surely his power would do the same. The king's eyes faded to white, being replaced by the northern lights, drawing the very ancient power of the ice ponies from him to power the portals. It took much from Lord Tundra, having him waver for just a moment, before releasing its hold on his power and began to have blue etchings race up the pillars.

Breathing heavily, Lord Tundra stood defiantly in front of the Obelisks, refusing to show weakness to his ice pony soldiers, knowing that their fight against this darkness was just about to begin.

* * *

My magic poured from me like water, my fire mixing with its energy and pouring across the field towards the dragon. With a powerful shout I exerted a great amount of my power that swept over the sea of fire I had created and from the flames a fiery fist emerged striking at the chest of the Storm Dragon.

Null staggered from atop the brow of the dragon feeling the Storm within wretch the dragon away from the flames that engulfed its hide. With Null's hand momentarily removed from the dragon's head, it was clear that the Storm had even more difficulty in moving it, and needed the guidance of Null to operate at the level I was currently facing it at.

I found myself wavering for a moment, having expended a great amount of my energy and stamina to generate that attack. Most of my magic was unrefined, sloppy, and required more energy than needed at times due to my lack of experience. I needed to let my fire burn for a bit without having to rely on my magic but it was all that was keeping me from being squashed by the Storm Dragon.

" _ **I'm beginning to see the weak embers of your light fading into the darkness. Your strength will fail. You...will fail.**_ "

The wing of the Storm Dragon swung high overhead, slicing horizontally through the air and bringing with it hurricane like winds that brought all manner of rock and sand my way. It immediately blew out the flames I had created and left me struggling to keep myself grounded. The Storm Dragon's tail swinging back around to crush me.

From overhead a beam of white light struck out like a whip, snagging the dragon's tail and keeping it from slamming down upon me. The white light flashed into a large magical chain that traced itself all the way to the ground where Princess Celestia was driving in a magical stake to keep it leashed.

"Your tyrannical rule over this realm ends here!" Princess Celestia declared.

The Storm Dragon's head whipped towards the interference, Null catching sight of Princess Celestia. Her declaration grew fainter and fainter, Her mane contouring to that of fire, and the image of the flame pony mare had drifted into his mind.

" _Just hold on…_ "

Staggering back from the brow of the dragon, Null clutched his head and screamed loudly at the echoes of the past. Beneath him the Storm raged in its anger over his hesitation to strike, struggling to break free of the hold Princess Celestia had over it.

A second beam of light whipped out from Princess Celestia's horn, lassoing the neck of the Storm Dragon and attempting real it in. Null was no longer puppeteering it's movements, forcing the Storm to struggle against it alone, roaring in its rage.

From high up above a sudden streak of a rainbow flashed across the sky. Waves of the sound barrier rippling off of Rainbow Dash diving towards the head of the dragon. With her outstretched hooves, Rainbow Dash plowed right into Null's side, just as the RainBoom erupted sending the Storm Dragon falling onto its side from the blast. Null had been knocked off the head of the dragon, all of Rainbow Dash's acceleration and force being transferred into him and launched into the ground below creating a sudden explosion from the impact.

Rainbow Dash Tumbled out of the air, dazed from impact, just as a streak of black and white zipped through the air caught her.

"I gotcha." Daring Do said.

The unbroken arm of the Storm Dragon cut through the air, reaching for them in a vain attempt as Princess Celestia wretched its head hard back from them. With its broken arm giving way to the weight Princess Celestia was forcing it to give, the dragon toppled over with a deafening slam upon the ground. Bursting out of the dragon with the force of a damn springing a leak, the Storm raced across the fields towards Celestia to rid it of her hinderance. The body of the dragon immediately went limp from the Storm's vacancy and appeared hollowed out by the Storm.

My legs were moving me towards Princess Celestia, trying to intercept the Storm, fearing the worst. At Princess Celestia's hooves were familiar ruins burning with magic, a black orb suddenly surrounding her before revealing to the Storm that she had vanished. Crashing like waves upon rocks the Storm swept the area where Celestia had been, gnawing at the chains where she had staked the dragon. I looked about, trying to find where Princess Celestia had gone, knowing Mira had assisted in her escape. A flash of white light brightened the sky for a moment, I saw Princess Celestia falling out of the air above the dragon corpse with a dozens of magical stakes raining down with her. Each stake viciously piercing the missing scales of the dragon's hide, nailing to the ground before clearing the area herself before the Storm could return.

Circling back up to the sky, the Storm twisted itself into a cyclone, arching itself towards the dragon and funneling its way into the dragon's mouth bringing the deceased puppet back to life. Celestia's magical stakes kept the dragon pinned to the ground despite its best efforts to raise itself.

Having tried run to help Princess Celestia from the Storm, I had put distance between me and the dragon. Rainbow Dash and Princess Celestia were opposite the dragon now, attempting to reconvene to plan their next assault. I could see the small glow of green near Princess Celestia, my heart slightly lifting knowing that Mira was safe with them for now, but it also brought me some fear knowing that she was what Null needed to escape.

An explosion drew my attention away, Null was flying at me with great speed, arms engulfed in dark flames. Flaring my mane I let loose a blast of fire at him, which he took the full frontal blow, but it did not slow his charge. His fist connected with the side my face, before another below had my had swinging back the other way. My wings instinctively shielded my face after that, taking the brutal blow of each of Null's punches, completely ignoring my fire that was already engulfing him.

" _ **All I ever did was exist! They hated me for it! Feared me for it! Forced to endure the suffering they inflicted upon me! All I am is what they made me!**_ "

Null cries were not threats or promises of the end. It was his pain that was coming through, his rage that gave him strength, but it also made him vulnerable.

" _ **Tell me Smolder! Tell me that I am wrong! Tell me I am the monster! Tell me how I deserve to die! Then tell me how similar we are!**_ "

Throwing out my wings I forced Null's arms out to his sides. His hands were coated in that silver skin again, parts of his body were shimmering with silver as well, but his eye from within the helmet burned with such hatred. I stepped in to mount my comeback but felt Null kick me hard in the chest. His hand shot out, taking a sudden hold of my horn when his body suddenly tensed up, my vision beginning to fade away and my eyes rolling back.

It was impossible to keep my magic in check this time, this vision or memory had been so powerful that it overwhelmed me. Hundreds of questions were running through my mind, time still moved when I had visions, Null could be draining my power away right this second and I'm stuck staring into blackness. I felt movement in my arms and legs, I stumbled around in the dark, trying to find any sort of light or something to catch my eyes. Null had been the one to take hold of my horn, so it may have been his way over beating me from this inside, much like how Mira had kept me asleep for three days, but my mental powers had grown since then. At least I had hoped they did, I didn't feel any smarter, but then again Mira never taught me how to defend against intruders of the mind.

If Null had invaded my mind, he was probably blending into the darkness with ease. Flaring my mane, which seemed rather ridiculous being within my mind and all, I tried to expose him to the light while pacing around. Turning sharply I felt myself run into something, having a small panic attack I leaped away, sparking into my flash step ready to attack.

" _It… It can't be…_ "

Smolder looked upon a tall grayish white alicorn flame pony, with fire so yellow it almost resembled the sun. Her eyes were grey like ash, she seemed so surprised if not horrified to see me. My flames quickly died away, staring at her with such confusion, but in my heart I already knew who it was.

"Mom?"


	63. Chapter 63: The Night Is Darkest

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike raced across the fields of was not on any pony's side, if Sapphire's plan was to work, then they would need to complete their task before Rarity and Pinkie Pie. This meant that they needed to enter the Valley of Shadows once more, but this time they knew where to go.

 _"If Rarity and Pinkie Pie are able to convince the Void Walkers to help us, then it will be up to us to make sure the trap is set. Fluttershy is our only chance of getting our part of the plan to work, but I have the utmost confidence that she will be able to get us the help we need."_

"Do you think the wolf is going to help us, Fluttershy?" Spike asked.

Spike clung to Twilight's neck, having to sprint across the fields was no easy task, and the ride was less than easy on the tail.

"It's my job to convince her of it." Fluttershy replied.

For the first step in Sapphire's plan, Fluttershy would need to enlist the help of the giant wolf that had crossed their path earlier. It would provide Fluttershy and Twilight the speed needed to rangle the giant beetles they had encountered when they first entered the Void. Sapphire's plan had too many variables that could go wrong, which is why each pony needed to succeed or the others would be left out to pasture.

 _"Ms. Fluttershy, this is where I leave this in your capable hooves. Twilight and Spike, please see to it that both Fluttershy and the wolf are protected. If everything goes according to plan, we will meet up with each other at the designated rendezvous."_

"We've all come too far to just give up now." Twilight reassured them.

"Right." Fluttershy replied.

Reaching the base of the mountain, Fluttershy had slowed her sprint nearing the mouth of the wolf's den. The most difficult part for Fluttershy would be asking this mother to leave her pups for a time, especially when all these loud noises and quakes had most likely scared her children.

"Twilight, I'm going to need you and Spike to stay right behind me. If you stay out here she'll be less trusting of you, but if you're with me she'll feel less threatened by strangers waiting outside." Fluttershy instructed.

"But we already met. Doesn't she remember us?" Spike asked.

"Mom's remember anypony that hurts their kids." Fluttershy replied.

"But we helped save her pup." Twilight argued.

"Mom's also remember those that are nice to their children. Just don't make any sudden moves, she could be agitated and not care if friend or foe shows up."

Together the three of them entered the cave, staying close together and noticing that the pups were nowhere to be seen. Further into the cave, a familiar sight of the giant wolf came into view with all her pups huddled close around her. Instinctively, the mother wolf snarled at their approach, frightening her pups at the potential threat coming their way.

Several pups sniffed the air, yelping at one another, trying to warn each other of danger, but the scent they picked up was one that excited them. The pups scampered away from their mother to meet with Fluttershy again, leaping about, pawing at her and yapping loudly at her. Fluttershy was nothing but smiles at the sight of them, offering several head pats for all the pups she could reach while Twilight and Spike were nervous to offer any.

The wolf mother hand gotten to her paws, towering over them as she approached to sniff them out herself. A few quick successions of sniffs had been enough for the wolf mother to recognize their scent and found them to be without threat.

"Excuse me, Misses Wolf Mom, I really hate to bother you, seeing as there are a lot of scary things going on out there, but we desperately could use your help in saving one of _our_ friends." Fluttershy spoke.

A sudden bark from the wolf mother had all her pups scampering away, having made both Twilight and Spike jump from fright, but Fluttershy stood unfazed by it.

"Yes, the bad man named Null is doing all this. We're trying to stop him from hurting anypony else, but we need your help to do it."

Another loud bark escaped the wolf mother's jaws. Whining immediately afterwards.

"I know you're afraid to leave your puppies. I feel just awful having to ask this of you, but our friend doesn't have a mother or a father that can help him now. All we are asking is that you help us for just a little while."

The wolf mother continued to whine. A familiar pup that they had saved from the creature Aswang yelped loudly at its mother, jumping at her leg and gnawing at her heel. He jumped in circles, barking loudly, nipping at her as if trying to get her to move.

Several barks from the wolf mother had all the pups retreating further into the cave with the young wolf pup standing out in front of his brothers and sisters.

"Thank you, Amarok." Fluttershy said graciously. "And thank you for helping us, Misses Wolf Mom."

"What did he say, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

"Amarok said he would watch his sibilings until she returned. That he would protect them just like his Dad had done."

"That's pretty brave of him." Spike remarked.

The wolf mother walked up alongside the ponies, lowering herself to allow them to climb atop her back. Fluttershy took hold of Twilight's hooves and helped lift her atop the massive wolf. Getting back onto her paws, the wolf mother headed to the exit of the cave, looking back at her pups who barked back at her. Whining once again, the wolf mother dragged herself from the cave entrance and bolted into the Valley of Shadows.

"Just divert the beetles towards the dragon! That is all we ask!" Fluttershy shouted over the whipping wind.

The speed of the wolf mother was unlike anything any pony had experienced. It ran near silently across the valley, having covered the distance it took to reach the cave from the fields in under a minute.

"Fluttershy?" Spike called out.

"Yes?"

"What _happened_ to the Daddy wolf?"

Fluttershy's face sadden a bit. "It distracted the Storm to let his family get away."

Twilight and Spike could draw their own conclusions to what that meant for the daddy wolf. It seems that even the Storm had taken something from everything in this realm, but assuredly that they would a stop it once and for all.

* * *

Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity entered the Forgotten City in record time. Adrenaline was kicking in hard with the massive dragon at their backs, but now it was a matter of finding the Void Walkers as fast as they could.

"We found them over this way!" Applejack called out to them.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie had not gotten the chance to actually see the scope in size of the city. Having been brought underground almost immediately upon entering, but every ruined building seemed to mirror the last making it easy to get lost right away. Luckily, with Applejack's good sense of direction and the hoof prints they had left behind still fresh, they were able to retrace their steps back to where the Void Walkers had appeared. Even so, the Void Walkers had taken off out of fear of Mira and it was safe to say that they would not be wandering about outside while the battle was taking place.

"The Void Walkers had gone off in this direction. Other than that I don't rightly know where they went." Applejack stated.

"Never fear, Applejack. Pinkie and I have been briefly introduced to the how Void Walkers hide in this… uh… dreadful city." Rarity reassured her.

Pinkie Pie waved her hooves around her face making spooky noises. "Secret doors."

"Secret doors?" Applejack asked.

Rarity was already on the move, following the crowd of Void Walker foot prints down the dark alley. The light from her horn traced along the walls, before revealing a hole in the wall where the footsteps had funneled into. Motioning towards Applejack and Pinkie Pie as this being the way, Rarity slipped in examining the room.

Much like before the building seemed to be a sort of shop with many shelves, although much of what was being stored had been smashed or missing. The footprints had scattered everywhere, obviously from being a high traffic area for the Void Walkers to come and go as the pleased.

"There should be some sort of room leading down further down or perhaps another hole we can climb into." Rarity suggested.

"More tunnels, huh?" Applejack asked.

"The Void Walkers have an area underground where they wait in a sort of meditation, except that this one is far more disconcerting." Rarity explained.

"What do you mean by that?"

PInkie Pie had been tapping against a wall for sometime. Her ear pressed flat against it. A hollow knocking informed her of a difference and pushed hard against it. The wall swung inwards, revealing a hidden path that led back down into the tunnels of the world.

"The Void Walkers had resigned themselves to being… devoured by the Storm. Their meditation was a way for them to become… content with it." Pinkie Pie stated.

"I don't like that train of thinking one bit." Applejack retorted.  
Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie ventured down into the tunnel. The light from Rarity's horn had shown the worn path in the ground that had been used to such an extent that it had created a sloping ditch.

"Believe us when we say that we were none too happy to hear that either. Then again, having survived this long and seeing everypony you care about be taken by that Storm… I'm sure it changes you on a level I never wish to experience." Rarity remarked.

Applejack had heard something similar from Mira, of how having spent such a long time having to deal with the loss of her friends and the torment of the Storm had changed her into a monster. It seemed that the Void Walkers had chosen a very different way to deal with their pain then Mira did.

"Mira had said something akin to what these Void Walkers are feeling. Although, it doesn't seem like they are on good terms with each other. I'm guessing that everyone deals with their pain in a different way."

From the mouth of the tunnel, Rarity's light washed out over a room filled with Void Walkers huddled in small groups and sitting upon the floor. Immediately drawn to the light, the Void Walkers got to their feet and began backing away from the group of ponies rather quickly.

"We don't mean you any harm." Applejack spoke up. "We're just here to talk and ask for yer help in something."

"In fact, we're in desperate need of your help!" Pinkie Pie jumped in.

Many Void Walkers refused to answer, some turned away looking to others for what was to be done, but eventually one stepped forward to speak. To Rarity and Pinkie Pie, it was an unfamiliar Void Walker, his cloak being their only sign of difference between them all, but to the others he was known as Asher.

" _What would you ask of us?_ " Asher questioned.

"Sorry, we were expecting Malachi, is he with you?" Rarity asked.

The Void Walkers looked to one another. Their glowing eyes disappearing beneath their hoods, as if closing their eyes to the name. From his cloak, the Void Walker revealed a familiar cloak now torn and shredded to them. Pinkie Pie's and Rarity's heart sank in an instant, having realized that Malachi was gone.

"How-How did this happen?" Rarity asked.

" _We were summoned by the Storm, to sustain it with our own light. Malachi…"_  
Reality had set in rather hard for both Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Brief as it was, to have met a friend and lost him so quickly, even after being told that his time was short made the situation these Void Walkers had to endure the more harrowing.

"Was he the one who told the Storm where to find us?" Applejack questioned.

"Malachi would never had done something so dreadful!" Rarity snapped.

It took a second for Rarity to realize that her tone was out of line, but the sadness that consumed her was already very telling from how distress her face was now.

 _"I told the Storm."_ Asher said.

Loosely holding the cloak in his hands, Asher seemed haunted by it. The confession by Asher seemed to be felt by all the Void Walkers in the room. Guilt had swept of the rest, knowing their own part in their betrayal.

"Why?" Pinkie Pie asked.

 _"He was my friend."_ Asher whispered. " _I didn't want to die. None of us do. Malachi was to die and I… I didn't want to lose my friend. So I betrayed him, hoping to spare his life… all our lives. He admonished us for our fear, for my cowardice, and spoke out against the Storm."_

Asher spoke with such regret. Without even seeing his face, everypony knew that he was racked with pain.

" _Now my friend is dead. Yet, I still live. A coward. I had become the very thing we accused the Arcana of being. A monster."_ Asher spoke bitterly. _"She was right, we deserve everything that has happened to us. Now I will live without my friend knowing that I had betrayed him._ "

A long silence fell between them. Any added words from Pinkie Pie or Rarity would have rang hollow to what Asher was already feeling. Choice words were already fighting their way through Rarity's clenched jaw, but her own friends had dire need of them.

"If… Malachi was here, what would he say to helping us?" Rarity asked.

Asher tucked the remains of Malachi's cloak back into his own. Already knowing what these ponies had come to ask.

" _There is nothing that can be done against the Storm._ " Asher claimed.

"You know, that there Arcana has probably been getting the short end of the stick for a lot of what's been going on around here. I ain't saying she isn't guilty of everything, but she's still out there fighting that Storm. Even after all the mean things you've said about her, all the horrible things that have happened to her, she hasn't given up hope." Applejack said.

Asher and the other Void Walkers did not seem all that moved. Their hatred for the Arcana blinded much of her own suffering from them. Even so, the idea that the Arcana had chosen to change, if not by hurting them, but by standing up to the Storm much like Malachi did resonated deep within them.

"Nothing will change what you did and didn't do, but you can change what you're going to do." Pinkie Pie added.

"Our friends are fighting to stop this Storm, whether you believe it can or not, you owe it to yourselves to at least try. Because Malachi tried to do what was right, he stood up for what was right, and he would be proud to know that his friends tried to as well." Rarity said.

Asher could still hear the words of his friend, crying out to unite them against the Storm, to not give into despair. Here in the dark they had found comfort or at least that is what they believed it to be. Teetering on the edge of their own despair, attempting to find strength in each other to keep from giving up entirely. They had traded all of that away at the first opportunity the Storm had given them and Malachi had to pay that price.

" _What… would you have us do?_ " Asher asked.

* * *

Deep under the fields of Ouroboros, Asher and the Void Walkers hurried through the tunnels in search of the creature Kana. The slime of the giant squid had many medicinal properties to it, some that even Mira had no known about, but the Void Walkers had many years to study its uses. Tracking the creature, studying its habits, and knowing of where it dwells.

" _The Void Walkers must summon the giant squid creature to help us. Much like the Great Dragon Char's greed for gold, we shall draw this creature out with light it lusts for. Fluttershy and Twilight succeed in their mission, we will handle the rest, but you must get that creature to the surface."_

Armed with an assortment of Pinkie Pie's firework sparklers, the Void Walkers traveled further into the darkness to find this creature. The Void Walkers had never allowed themselves to be seen by Kana, let alone willingly approach it, and this put them all at great danger to being devoured or even crushed by this massive creature.

Reaching a massive tunnel, carved by none other than Kana itself, Asher turned to his brethren to go over the plan once again.

" _I will lead the creature to the junction down this path, then Valdir will lead it to the next, and Morgoth will take over from there. Remember to ignite the stick just as the previous leaders goes out, Kana will follow the light."_

The Void Walkers were all in understanding of the plan. A long pause followed them, as if reconciling themselves to go through with this plan, but Asher had lit his sparkler showing them his own resolve.

" _For those we've failed and betrayed. Let this be our penance._ "

Asher raced away from the others, sparkler growing more distant in the darkness. The other Void Walkers hurried up the path in the opposite direction, racing towards their own junctions to await the creature.

The sparkler flashed brightly in the darkness, highlighting the details within Asher's cloak, and making him the only visible thing within the cave. Stepping past many boulders and pummeled rock, the gleam from the goo of Kana's body shined against the light of the sparkler.

" _Malachi…_ " Asher whispered.

Waving his arm to and fro, casting the light of the sparkler across the length of tentacle before him, the creature Kana began to stir. It's bulbous head rolling over, a massive eye suddenly peeling open and staring at the light within Asher's hand.

" _I had chosen you over these ponies. You believed that they would bring us hope, that these lords of light would bring an end to our suffering, and free us from the Storm."_

Back peddling, Asher continued to wave the sparkler over his head, watching the creature Kana unravel itself beneath the rock and stone it was buried under. Tentacles were suddenly slamming down towards Asher, shaking the ground beneath him as he ran back towards the tunnel. The creature Kana was now dragging itself after Asher, pulling itself through the tunnel as its tentacles reached out for him.

" _We've chosen to stand, as you did, against the Storm."_

The sparkler within Asher's hand was reaching its end, not close enough to the junction in which Valdir to take over. Reaching into his cloak, Asher removed the rags of Malachi's cloak, wrapping it around his hand and trying to ignite the cloth with the meager flame.

" _You had been our light in the darkness. Our hope. Lighting the way to our salvation even now."_

A small flame suddenly appeared upon the cloak. Asher covered the flame with his hand, running hard trying to keep it burning long enough to spread. Kana's tentacles slamming down behind him, trying to reach this new roaring flame that had suddenly grown from Asher.

Valdir stood at the junction of the tunnels that would lead them higher to the fields, already hearing the slopping sounds of the creature Kana growing near. From the darkness a sudden light appeared brighter than what had been intended, a sudden ball of fire that engulfed the hand of Asher. Holding high over his head, leading the creature Kana behind him.

Lighting his sparkler with a snap of his fingers, Valdir held up his arm and began to wave it towards the creature. Asher's hand was blistering from the flames, but the fires were already dying away. Having lasted long enough to reach Valdir. Tucking the flames beneath his arm, Asher ran towards the opposite tunnel to get clear of Kana as Valdir waved the light hard to get the creatures attention. Having gained Kana's attention, Valdir ran towards the tunnel where Morgoth would be waiting to take the next leg of this sprint.

Asher rested at the edge of a tunnel, watching his friend lead Kana up and out of the next tunnel, not knowing if he would ever see any of them again. In his blistered and burnt hand, Asher clutched the ashes of the Malachi's cloak, bringing them close to his chest and nursing his arm.

" _In the name of all those who had died before us, we will continue to stand against this Storm._ "

* * *

Dozens of magical spikes had pinned the Storm Dragon to the ground, restricting its movements and keeping the Storm in place. It shuddered, twisting itself against the spikes, looking for any amount of room to move, but the Storm could not get its puppet free.

Daring Do was still carrying Rainbow Dash, her collision with Null had been comparable to running straight into a brick wall, but most of the force had been transferred into Null leaving Rainbow Dash relatively unharmed. With Princess Celestia standing at the ready, watching the Storm wrestle with the dragon to move, Mira sat beside her having spent all of her energy to move Celestia away from the path of the Storm.

"Were you able to stop it, Princess Celestia?" Daring Do asked.

"For the moment. What is left of the Elder Dragon is simply a hollowed out shell. Although, its scales repel magic, my spikes were directed at the missing scales throughout its body. Without the actual strength of an Elder Dragon behind it, I do not believe the Storm will have the ability to remove the spikes itself." Princess Celestia informed them.

"It's going to get free… it always does." Mira breathed.

It was clear from the soft green colors of her arms that Mira was close to losing the last bit of strength she had left. No pony had faced the Storm before, not as Mira had, and could only take Mira's word that this was far from over.

Rainbow Dash held her hoof to her head, coming around to her senses. "How'd I do?"

"Future Wonderbolt indeed, you were amazing, Rainbow Dash." Princess Celestia praised her.

Mira grunted while tilting her hand side to side to give off the impression that it was only subpar. It was obvious that Mira wasn't going to show any sort of vulnerability, her indifference was a way of letting her hide her feelings with subtle teasing. Even so, there was a noticeable relief that Mira wore knowing that every pony was safe for the moment.

"Are you going to be okay?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I just need some light." Mira huffed.

A sudden quake stemming from the dragon had everypony trying to keep their balance. The Storm was thrusting the neck of the dragon up through the spike, tearing scales that had been pinned down from inside with it. It moved so irregularly, being pulled in odd places to tear itself free from the spikes, and caring little of the areas that had become vulnerable.

"What's the plan?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"The two of you will take Mira and assist Princess Sapphire in her plan in any way that you can. The Twins can share their fire with Mira and we'll coordinate a plan of attack once the plan goes into action. I will remain here to assist Smolder in fighting this Storm." Princess Celestia explained.

Another explosion was felt across the fields, Null having once more engaged Smolder, the two fighting off in the distance again. Mira looked on, watching her flame pony fight toe to hoof against her enemy, almost hearing his stupid voice echo in her mind of keeping his promise to her. She scowled angrily at herself, feeling her emotions beginning to swell again. Forcing herself to stand, taking hold of Princess Celestia's leg to balance herself she pointed towards Smolder in earnest.

"Take me to Smolder." Mira demanded.

"It's too dangerous to bring you anywhere near the creature. The Twins will suffice for the moment to help you recover your strength." Princess Celestia retorted.

"I can help him focus his magic. Give him the chance to destroy Null for good. They won't be separated for long." Mira explained.

With Smolder engaged with Null and the Storm occupied with the dragon, it did seem like a good chance to take advantage of the situation. Princess Celestia would provide the distraction necessary to the Storm to allow them the time needed to destroy Null, but it would prove risky if Mira were to be captured by the Storm.

Princess Celestia turned to Rainbow Dash and Daring Do. "Bring Mira as close as you can to Smolder without putting yourselves in danger."

"Right." Daring Do and Rainbow Dash had agreed together.

The head of the Storm Dragon reared up, having torn itself away from the magical spike that had nailed it down. The Storm lurched its head towards Princess Celestia and the others, pausing for a moment to glare at them. It was unsettling to see the vacant sockets of the dragon brimming with the Storm gaze hollowly upon them. The jaws of the Elder Dragon opened wide to speak.

"ARCANA."

Its word cut into the very soul of Mira. As if an edge of a knife being gouged into wood. The Storm had actually spoke, through cracks of lightning and the roar of thunder it managed to discern a word to them, but only Mira seemed effected. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do could see the color within Mira's eyes fade. Her body trembling as she fell back into the sand, covering her ears and rocking herself. Mira had been frightened and scared before, but this was the first time any had seen her terrified beyond reason.

Princess Celestia stepped forward, her horn pulsing a sudden wave of magic that shielded every pony in a dome of light.

"If you wish to speak to some pony, then speak to me!" Princess Celestia declared.

"YOU HAVE FAILED."

The words uttered by the dragon were different from Null's. It seemed ancient, cruel, and more hollow if at all possible for a creature that was merely a husk. What unnerved everypony was that the Storm sounded amused.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash had placed themselves beside Mira to comfort her and shield her from the dragon's line of sight. Mira instantly clung to Rainbow Dash, trembling from head to foot, sheer terror having overwhelmed her.

"What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.


	64. Chapter 64: The Birth of a Phoenix

Glow Sunbeam stood flabbergasted at the pony that stood before her. He was a young colt, a shade between black and grey, eyes the color of ash, and his flames danced about in a mixture of red and yellow. The closer she looked the more she started to realize the smaller details her eyes had missed. Scars upon his legs that reached up his arms like cracks in the earth that seared with heat from his fire. Not to mention the one upon his ear that seemed to have nearly cut it in two. What was the most surprising if not frightening for her was this colts cutie mark that depicted the very name that was burning in her heart

"Smolder?"

A sudden flare of the young colts mane of his name being uttered told her all she needed to know. Fear gripped her heart at the sudden realization of his being here.

"This-This isn't right. It shouldn't be you Smolder, it can't be you. It should have been-"

Glow could not finish her thought. Smolder was already in her arms, resting his head against her chest, trembling against her and doing his best to hold back his sobbing.

"No-no-no, don't cry, sweetheart." Glow said instinctively.

Embracing him as tightly as she could, Glow held onto him, gently rocking back and forth. Nuzzling her head against his, stroking his mane, and quietly trying to calm him down. She could feel him wincing, crying into her shoulder, knowing that all of this was her fault.

"I'm so sorry, Smolder." Glow whispered. "I understand if you can't ever forgive me for-"

"You're-"

Smolder's shaken voice from crying had cut her off. Clinging to him, ready to endure the years of pent of resentment he had for her. Ready to bare the full resentment and anger he would have had growing up alone.

"You're... even prettier than Princess Celestia."

Glow found herself unable to stifle a laugh. Squeezing Smolder even more to convey her happiness and relief to him.

It felt like hours had passed between them. Glow having whispered hundreds of times of how much she loved him to earn tighter and tighter hugs from her son.

Eventually, Glow found that Smolder's trembling had subsided, and his crying had stopped. She refused to let go of him, knowing that a hug should never be stopped because it was unclear how much the other pony needed it. It was only a few minutes later did she feel Smolder begin to step away from her hug and really get to see him up close.

"Look how big you've gotten…" Glow said.

Drawing her hoof over his head before sliding it under his chin to lift his head higher to see his ash colored eyes. She smiled brightly at him with such pride.

"And how handsome you are."

She felt Smolder clutch her hoof as she held his face. Starved for her attention, cherishing every moment he was given and treasured every touch she gave to him.

Leaning in, Glow tilted his head back ever so slightly, and kissed his forehead just below his horn. Holding it for a few seconds, before pulling away and hugging him once again. Smolder clutched her tightly, trying his best to reciprocate all the love he had for her in his hug.

"There's so many things I want to ask you, Mom." Smolder said. "So many things I want to tell you."

"First of all, Smolder," Glow began. "There's something I have to ask you."

Pulling away from her, Smolder sat down in front of her, rather obediently, waiting for her to speak. Glow took a deep breath knowing that this was going to be hard for her to deal with.

"Do you have a special somepony?" Glow asked suspiciously.

Smolder's mane flared in embarrassment. Glow turned her head to pout, realizing that her son was already interested in mares and quite possibly already courting one. Annoyed that so much time had passed since last seeing him as just a newborn.

"Why-why-why would you ask that?" Smolder asked.

"I can smell her perfume all over you." Glow replied coldly. "So who's this harpy that's got her claws in my son?"

Smolder buried his flushing face into his hooves, unable to cope with the amount of embarrassment he was feeling. Leaning forward once again, Glow tapped her horn against Smolder's to generate a sudden plunge of magic that turned the darkened void around them into a sort of projector of his memories.

Everything was from the point of view of Smolder. His memories were sporadic, jumbled, and jumped around quick frequently. Although, his thoughts were currently of Sapphire which filled the void with dozens of memories concerning her and caused Glow to gasp in surprise.

"My little Smolder is courting Martha's sweet little Sapphire? Oh it's just too precious! I approve!" Glow announced in delight.

"Mom!" Smolder shouted.

His uneasiness about being teased over his relationship with Sapphire had slipped over to the moment back in the cave where the two of them had shared a rather private moment. Glow gasped at the boldness of the two young ponies causing Smolder to only bury his head in shame under his hooves as he sank low to the ground.

"You certainly didn't get that from my side of the family." Glow commented.

The word family seemed to have the trigger for Smolder's thoughts to switch over to their family. Memories of his father suddenly flooded around them, dozens of moments from their conversations to the fight they had. Having realized where his thoughts had gone, Smolder quickly picked himself back up to explain what had happened but his mother seemed to already have an idea.

Her face was stern, if not mortified at what she had seen. Try as he might, Smolder couldn't suppress these memories of his father and it showed every horrible detail of what had occurred between them. Glow's mane flared angrily at the sight of Scorch even raising a hoof to Smolder but her entire being seemed to become ablaze when seeing him actually strike their son.

Turning her attention back towards Smolder, Glow watched him wince at anger and disappointment she wore upon her face. Although directed at Scorch entirely, Glow quickly softened her expression. Already attributing the scars upon Smolder to Scorch's doing, Glow quickly took him back in her arms and held him tightly.

"I never would have believed that he was so far gone. Now you're here and everything is lost."

"What's lost?" Smolder asked.

A whole lifetime was not enough to explain everything to Smolder, yet it felt that she had traded that lifetime away of her own free will to gamble the future of the Kingdom of Naught and lost. Her earlier surprise of finding Smolder before her rather than her believed flame pony had shocked her from her senses, but the truth of it all was now rushing back in and it filled her with dread.

"Smolder, sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Glow asked.

"I'm not really sure." Smolder replied. "Null had grabbed my horn and I was suddenly pulled into my own mind."

"No, Smolder. What are you doing _here_? In the realm of Naught? Why are you anywhere near Null? How did you even get here?"

"That's a really long story and I-" Smolder had stopped short.

A look of panic had washed over him.

"I need to get out of here! Null and the Storm are attacking my friends with the carcass of an Elder Dragon! I have to stop him!"

Much of that had gone right over Glow's head, but she gently placed her hooves on Smolder's shoulders and calmly quieted him down.

"It's alright, Smolder. This isn't memory or a vision. This a very old and very powerful spell that you've unknowingly stumbled upon. When the magic runs out, you'll be free from this spell and will have felt as if time had stopped altogether while here."

Smolder found a great amount of comfort in this, although the idea of the magic wearing off had him suddenly panicked for a whole different reason now.

"You're not leaving again, are you?" Smolder asked.

Glow's expression changed quickly, becoming sad and tormented by what she was going to say.

"Sweetheart," Glow said tenderly. "This is all that's left of me. A small amount of my soul, tucked away, waiting for… waiting for your father to find."

"Dad?"

* * *

The Mad King Scorch walked through the Valley of Shadow, shrouded in the thick veil of darkness that covered the area. Embers and flakes of his own hide drifted from him with each step he took, heading towards a set of Obelisks that Mad King had found in his time within the Void. The Valley of Shadow provided the optimal cover for the Mad King to avoid the Storm. These particular set of Obelisks were the ones connected to the Frozen North, even though the Mad King was unaware of their destination, it provided him a means of reentering Equestria regardless.

Through the mist an image began to form in the darkness, its small stature did not pose much of a threat, but as the Mad King's light drew closer it proved to be wrong. For Wingston stood in the path of the Mad King, sitting upon the ground, seemingly awaiting for the Mad King to come across him. Stopping a few paces away, the Mad King glared at Wingston.

"Your persistence was the only admirable trait you had, Wingston." Scorch remarked.

"You once had many." Wingston replied.

"I spared your life once, Wingston. I shall not do so again."

Wingston got to his claws, leaning upon his staff for support, before holding out his wings challenging the Mad King to make good on his promise. Scorch did not act on his impulse to merely blast Wingston away with magic or fire, but instead scoffed at his boldness.

"Die here with the others. It makes no difference to me."

The Mad King stepped around Wingston, heading towards the Obelisks that lingered in the distance. Wingston lowered his arms. Tapping his staff upon the ground a few times, causing the rings at the top to jingle and bounce about.

"You asked what my council would have been, if you had asked for my advice on dealing with the Elder Dragon." Wingston spoke up.

The Mad King slowed to a stop. It wasn't amusement, or even a sick sense of humor that had him waiting, but a deep desire to truly know what WIngston was going to say. His silence to Wingston's words spoke volumes. Turning to face Scorch, Wingston could see that the Mad King had even turned back to look at him and waited to hear what he had to say.

"I would have supported you in facing this Elder Dragon alone."

A sudden look of confusion had flashed across the Mad King's face. It had him turning completely back around to face Wingston again.

"No clever plans, Wingston? No speech of friendship or humility? You simply… agree with me?" The Mad King questioned.

"Yes." Wingston replied. "My King."

Scorch found himself feeling annoyed by Wingston's words, his acceptance to what his choice had been, and how he felt the sincerity of his words.

"Nothing would have changed, Wingston. Everything would have played out as it has, even to this point. Your support in this plan would have only made you an accomplice to this."

"Are you saying that what you did was a mistake?" Wingston questioned.

Flames shot from the Mad King's eyes. "Do not twist my words, Wingston!"

"Everything would have been different, my King." Wingston began. "After your encounter with the Elder Dragon, after your mind had shattered, we would have sought to save you from this plight. None would have demonized you for what you did. The Queen would have been right beside you in finding a way to bring you back. No pony would have faulted you for your madness."

"Then why not stop me from making such a decision? Why not convince me of another way? Why agree to this, Wingston?"

Wingston stepped forward towards the Mad King. "Because you did it to save your son, my King."

Fire flared from every part of the Mad King's failing body. His anger was mounting, but it wasn't for Wingston. A part of him was suddenly feeling anger over what he had done, while the other part was feeling rage over what Wingston had said.

"That, my friend, is the purest form of love. One of self sacrifice. One that your son has shown time and time again. Offering himself freely to the dangers that plague others, in attempt to save others, and it is the part of you that has made Smolder a light that others have gravitated to."

"Enough!" Scorch cried.

"Smolder has only desired one thing in this life. A selfish desire that many take for granted. To be loved. You've turned your greatest sacrifice into a burden upon him, believing that he is responsible for your torment and anguish. You still a have a chance my King, to the right this mistake, to show your son that you truly care for him."

"Silence!"

"You can still save him, Scorch! I beg of you! I cannot protect him anymore, but you still have that power! You can still have time!"

A sudden crack of thunder had rolled in from behind the Mad King. The Obelisks began to glow, creating a sudden ball of dark energy that started to rise up into the darkened skies.

* * *

"Null is being used, Smolder."

"Used?"

"The one that called itself Nadir, one of the Eternal Masters had survived. It's spirit lived on. When Null was cast out by the Void Walkers and Arcana, Nadir was waiting in the darkness for him. It fed into his hatred, his fears, the anger he was feeling for what was done to him. Nadir is using Null as his host, his plan was to gather all light within the realm and restore himself through Null. The Arcana proved to be more of a challenge than Nadir had predicted, using too much of its power to defeat them and so he fed off of Null for years and years to what you now. A husk of what he was."

Guilt washed over her now, lowering her head to me, shaking from sudden swell of emotions she was feeling.

"When I confronted the Storm, it had abandoned Null in fear of being destroyed, and in that moment I saw how scared he had become. I knew it wasn't right, that he was just an innocent soul being used for a sinister purpose, and I-"

My mother had trailed off, becoming overwhelmed by her own sadness.

"I couldn't do it, Smolder. I just couldn't."

I leaned in, hugging my mother once again, nestling my head against hers.

"It's cool."

I felt my mother hug me tightly, weeping quietly to herself.

"It's not. It's not, Smolder. I failed the Kingdom, I failed to save your father, I failed to return to you and your brothers, I failed to save Mira… I failed at everything."

"You saved Wingston." I said quietly.

My mother's crying was cut short by Wingston's name, her grip on my tightened as she held me like I was always believed a mother would.

"Wingston… saved me. With the help of my friends... we were able to save the Kingdom. I was able to save Wick and Pyre from losing their way. I was able to stand up to Dad… an Orc… and even a dragon. All because Wingston was there for me. Just like you were there for him."

I could feel my mother sobbing all over again. Nuzzling her head against mine, whispering how much she loved me and how sorry she was again and again.

"I-I-I just don't understand why you're here, Mom." I mumbled.

I could feel my mother forcing herself to pull away from me, desperately wanting to hug me further but knew that their time was short.

"When I was consumed… I shielded just a bit of my fire from the Storm where it has resided in Null, keeping him alive… until now. I expected your father to be the one to come, Smolder. I believed that my… death would be enough to have him come back to his senses and find this bit of my fire still left within Null. But I can see now that he is truly gone and by some unbelieveale twist of fate, you are here."

"What do I have to do? How do I stop the Storm and save Null?" I asked.

Her smile was so wracked with grief. Unable to believe how similar Smolder was to Scorch, his desire to do whatever was necessary to protect those he loved.

"Smolder… you can't do this."

"Why not? Just tell me what I have to do. I have friends that can help me, Mom. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Twilight and Spike and-"

"I won't let you, Smolder. I won't let you do this."

"Why?"

I felt my mother's hoof touch the side of my face, gently stroking me cheek as she placed her head against mine.

"You'll die, Smolder."

I forgot to take a breath, the beating of my heart seemed to slow, and my stomach turn. Echoes of the fiery colt that had appeared to me so many times had said it over and over again. That I would die protecting this world. It knew. I always thought I had somehow overcome each of those moments, but it seemed I was heading right for it all this time.

"What it will take to destroy the Storm, your body won't be able to handle the amount of power needed, and you'll destroy yourself from the inside out." Glow said. "I have this one chance to finally do something right, as your mother, and protect you. So please, don't ask this of me, Smolder."

My mother's arms wrapped around me again, but I stepped back quickly refusing her hug. I knew it must hurt my mom something awful, knowing that I would refuse to be held by her, but I knew that I couldn't be her son right now.

"I made a promise. A promise that I would save any pony that would cry out for help and defend all those who are threatened by darkness. To become a beacon for those who are lost. I am the King now and…"

I looked up at my mother with all the confidence I could muster, with all the nerve to look sure of myself and not allow my feelings for her cloud my decision.

"I need _your_ help to keep this promise. So please, tell me what I have to do."

My mother seemed riddled with pain, unable to bear the thought of having me give up my life for such a cause.

"Please, mom."

Closing her eyes, my mother wrestled with her feelings, trying to find the strength to tell me what I needed to know. A small bit of magic formed at the top of my mother's horn, her body already beginning to fade from my sight as I felt myself nervously reaching for her.

"With the last of my magic, I will show you want you need to know, but I will not ask you to do this, Smolder. Please, understand that I could never ask you to give up your life."

"Because you're my mother." I said.

Leaning her head down to me, I closed my eyes as she pressed it against mine as I felt her magic pouring into me.

"Because I love you, sweetheart."

I opened my eyes to see that she had faded into thousands of embers that swirled around me. The warmth brought such comfort and reassurance to me, feeling the embers touch my skin and sizzle away. I could feel my fire reacting to her magic.

"Goodbye, Smolder."

I opened my eyes. Finding myself in a brightly lit corridor. I was inside Castle Char. Everything seemed new, the walls gleamed with obsidian, the windows clear from soot, and the floor was polished to a shine. I stood outside two large, but familiar, doors leading into the Royal Chambers. Two royal guards stood at the door, looking rather distraught for some reason.

As I approached the doors to the Royal Chambers, one of the guards had cleared his throat. He appeared to be emotional, trying his best to hold back his own feelings as the other guard took notice of it.

"It's alright, Strike. We're all feeling it." The guard on the left had said.

"It ain't right, Flint. No parent should have to go through that." Strike had replied.

Their voices were so very far away, like echoes in a dream I could barely recognize. I stepped into the room, right through the very doors themselves. I saw two ponies standing together. One was an Alicorn, although his wings had been removed, and the other was simply a Pegasi flame pony mare that wept openly beside him. The gleaming obsidian crown upon his head made me realize who I was in the presence of. Lord Smoke the Dragon Rider.

Before them was a bassinet. I approached it slowly, looking in to see a small foal without flame laying motionless within. My own heart sank at the sight of this stillborn foal. I was at a loss for words, having known that Lord Smoke had only one son and there never being mention of another.

"There was nothing we can do." Lord Smoke said weakly.

This had only caused his Queen to sob harder. I stepped away from the bassinet to see that a name had been chiseled into the base. It read 'Blaze' upon it. I found myself staring at the name for a long while, realizing that this name was indeed the son of Smoke who had succeeded his father and bringing the Kingdom of Flame Ponies into its first age of peace. Yet, the unfortunate foal within the bassinet was without flame.

From an open window a sudden flourish of flames had soared in. A phoenix had landed atop the bassinet surprising Lord Smoke and his Queen along with myself. It waited there for a brief moment, gazing at both Lord Smoke and his Queen, before looking down at their foal. In a sudden show of fire the Phoenix set itself ablaze as its ashes fell into the bassinet and covering the foal.

Lord Smoke rushed to the edge of the bassinet, looking at the pile of ash covering his son. A flame appeared from the ashes, a hoof suddenly striking out, before the head of his son emerged wailing and coughing at the ash it was covered in. Immediately Lord Smoke drew him from the pile, coddling him in his arms as his Queen rushed to his side to witness the miracle.

It was then I had realized why we bore the name Phoenix.

The world was swept away, before another took its place. A tall Alicorn colt stood on the side a bed. I could tell that this was a much older Blaze Phoenix. Within the bed held an elderly Lord Smoke quietly rambling to himself while his son spoke to a doctor pony.

"He has moments of lucidness, my Lord. I fear that the disease is in its final stages and I regret that I cannot do more than making him as comfortable as possible. You have my sincerest apologies."

"You've done everything you can. I appreciate the help you've given my father in his final days. I only wish I knew what his ramblings meant."

"In many cases it is nothing, my Lord. Simply ramblings. In many cases ponies do not even speak words discernible to us, but your father seems to be merely speaking to himself most often than not."

"The war with dragons has surely taken its toll upon him and this is the result of those horrid years finally catching up to him. Thank you for your help, doctor."

The doctor pony bowed his head, excusing himself from the room while Blaze approached his father's bedside.

"The doctor says there's nothing more can be done. I'm sorry, father."

Lord Smoke had ceased his ramblings, his eyes wearily traveled to his son before smiling softly at him.

"The day you were born was the happiest of my life, but it was also the saddest. You wouldn't draw breath, your fire would not spark, and we feared that we had lost you forever. The entire Kingdom was in mourning, word had spread of our tragedy, and we begged for a miracle. Somehow a phoenix had heard of our grief, it came to us and offered its own fire so that you would live."

I felt my own fire suddenly resonate from these words, a swell of power that seemed to flourish around me.

"Never forget that the smallest amount of kindness can change the course of the future. A future that I know leave to you, my son."

"I will father. I swear to you. I will make your proud."

"I've always been proud of you." Smoke mumbled. "Never forget that."

The elderly Lord Smoke took his son's hoof with his own, smiling at him as if to comfort his distraught son.

After a while, Lord Smoke seemed to drift to sleep and Blaze took his leave to allow his father to rest. I waited for the world to fade away again but it remained.

"Smolder…"

I turned to Lord Smoke not believing that he had just whispered my name.

"Smolder…"

I approached the bedside looking at the elderly Lord Smoke who stared vacantly back.

"I'm sorry… tell them… I'm sorry."

I watched the world race away in an instant. The world stopped hard as I found myself before Blaze and his young son, Aiden, staring out over the Ashen Fields.

"Will I have to be the King one day, father?" Aiden had asked.

"Yes, my son, and you will have to defend our home from any and all horrors that may come to destroy it." Blaze had replied.

"What if I'm not strong enough?"

Blaze looked down to his son, smiling at him warmly and placing his hoof upon his head.

"You have the power of the Phoenix inside you. All my strength has been passed on to you and when you have need of it, you merely have to call upon it. I will be with you. Always."

Aiden seemed relieved at this answer. The two ponies faded away, the young Aiden was now a tall Alicorn standing beside his son in the same spot staring out over the fields.

"My father once told me that I would King one day, Titus, and with it I would inherit his power." Aiden had said.

"What power, father?" Titus had asked.

"A power that was given to my father from a Phoenix, the power to transcend our fire from one king to the next. One day you will be able to call upon this power, and on that day I hope that you will remember me. That I will always be with you in your darkest of hours."

Almost like a flip book I watched the years begin to fly past. King after king speaking to their sons of same power that was being passed down from generation to generation. After a time, the world slowed down in a sudden stop that left me in front of my father and the Wise King Phoenix. My grandfather. My father was about my age. Dressed in his royal armor, looking very serious about the conversation they were about to have, but my grandfather seemed a bit more relaxed.

"Do you know why we are called Phoenix, my son?" My grandfather had asked.

"Because our line has withstood the test of time. That our blood can be traced back to the very first of our kind. A fire that cannot die, but rise again from the very ashes of our failures." Scorch replied.

"Amusing, but a little fantastical to say the least. We have been given a very special power, my son. A power that can lead to utter ruin if used unwisely, but if used for the right reasons, can be unstoppable to our enemies."

My grandfather watched Scorch nod his head very quickly in agreement which made him laugh.

"You're alone with me, Scorch. There is no need to continue this farce. You're not that serious."  
For the first time, perhaps in all my life, I had seen my father smile. It was a real smile. One of comfort and joy of being with a pony you truly cared for.

"Have you been to see your special somepony lately?" My grandfather had asked him.

"I-I-I… well… she made it rather clear that I wasn't…" My father struggled to say. "That we should just be friends."

My grandfather noticed the sadness in his voice. Putting his arm around Scorch, my grandfather comforted him with a doting smile.

"Love, my son, is all about sacrifice. If she believes that you are not her special somepony, then I commend you for accepting that. To give up on your feelings is not an easy task, but you allow her the chance to find her own happiness. Just don't give into despair. You never know how much someone is sacrificing on your behalf in the name of love."

This seemed to do little to cheer Scorch up. Words rarely heal a broken heart, but the Wise King Phoenix knew that his son needed something more than that.

"Who knows, maybe she'll come around after a while."

"Do you really think so?" Scorch asked quickly.

"If your mother and I are any example of two mismatched lovers, then I would assume that you still have a chance to prove yourself a worthy somepony."

"How can I do that?"

"Scorch, I want you to listen these words and take them to heart. Let them be the foundation of every action you will ever take when you are faced with hardship in your life."

Scorch swallowed hard, feeling the gravity of his father's words, knowing that he would one day be standing as the most influential and powerful pony in this land.

"My son, I will not be there to council you on the troubles you may face during your life. You will need to remember that our family has always ruled with wisdom and strength. Even with our great power, we have always shown restraint in using it against our most fearsome enemies. For all our wealth and ingenuity our most valued success comes from the trust the ponies of Equestria have given us."

My grandfather gripped the shoulder of Scorch firmly, giving him a loving smile to reassure him of the responsibility that would one day befall him.

"I tell you this, Scorch, for when my reign comes to an end, you shall be king."

I watched as my father's eyes light up, having been given the confidence and assurity from his own father made all the difference to him in that moment. The world began to fade away, knowing of the hardships my father was soon going to face and the horrors he would one day bring. I could only feel the stinging pain in my heart knowing that everything he had fought so hard to protect had come undone because of me.

From the darkness the fiery stallion that had dwelled in the deepest parts of my mind, suddenly blazed forth and towered over me. The shriek of its fire was becoming more high pitched, growing into the sound of the phoenix I had heard in my own fire many times before. The fiery stallion started to change its shape, forming into fiery form of the bird itself, spreading its wings wide in show of power. From its flames several heaps of fire spawned from it, each taking the form of fiery stallions and surrounding me in a large circle. Their fire raged violently before being blown away and revealing the kings of old standing around me.

Just to my right was Blaze Phoenix, staring at me silently, to his right was his son, and so on and so forth. Yet, when it got to me grandfather, the Wise King Phoenix, there was a place missing. A place where my father should have been. The fiery phoenix occupied the space, a powerful light growing from its presence, if beckoning me to come. I was beginning to realize that my father had been denied this power, never fully achieving the right to wield the fires of the phoenix, and that I had been granted his place.

The intensity of the light of the phoenix was growing exponentially, bleeding out the kings that had come before with its intensity, and I knew that this was where my journey had taken me. To where I had always been going. What I had promised to do. Racing towards the fiery phoenix I could feel the light envelope me, surging through every inch of my body, and as I collided with the phoenix I felt myself suddenly slamming into something rather hard.

Null had toppled back from the sudden headbutt I had given him. I sprawled out on the ground, trying to get my bearings on what had just happened. I lifted my head to see Null clutching his chest, his breathing labored, having lost the fire my mother had hidden inside of him, and now feeling the full effects of his husk like body.

" _What… what did you do… to me_?" Null wheezed.


	65. Chapter 65: Battle for Naught (Part 1)

Without the light of Glow sustaining him, Null was feeling the full effects of his failing body. Racked with pain and confusion to what had happened, Null did not have the strength to lift himself from the ground. Clawing his hand into the dirt, clutching his chest with his other, Null dragged himself towards the Storm.

Deep within my chest I could feel a warmth, separate from the fire I normally felt surging within me. I could only assume that this was the power that had been shown to be through those memories of the kings of old. It had also been the first and only chance I had been given to see my mother. There was a weight in my heart from our sudden parting, but I knew what needed to be done.

Trying to get my hooves, I found myself falling forward, watching Null reach out to the Storm in desperation. I pulled myself towards Null, earning only his sudden glance from within his shattered helm I saw fear grip him.

 _"Stay away from me!"_

"Null, listen to me..." I began.

Slamming his open hand upon the ground beside him, a sudden blast of dark energy had surrounded him. Markings traced beneath him, ones I was already familiar with, and watched as he disappeared within it.

* * *

The Storm had spoken. It had surprised everypony, no more so than Mira who seem petrified by it. The lifeless dragon pulled itself closer to them, attempting to tear away the spikes that still pinned it to the earth. Princess Celestia prepared herself to do battle with this abomination, but noticed something odd occurring near the top of the dragon's head.

A sudden appearance of markings upon the brow of the dragon flared to life. The Storm Dragon buckled from the abrupt force of dark energy that imploded upon its head. Null had appeared atop of the dragon, causing the Storm to suddenly roar in anger at the state in which he had returned. From the eye sockets of the dragon's head, the Storm leeched its way back into Null, eating away at the silver skin that had covered parts of his body. Null's wailing shrieks from the pain had snapped Mira from her petrified state, realizing what the Storm, or what Nadir had been planning.

"Every pony listen to me!" Mira shouted.

Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Do looked to her seeing her face still racked with fear but the tone she used was one of urgency.

"You all need to get back to the portals as quickly as you can! Forget the plans! Forget everything! You all need to leave right now!"

The sheer terror in her voice was unsettling to every pony, especially since the Storm had spoken and appeared to have shaken Mira's resolve so easily.

"What are we dealing with? What did the Storm mean by you failing?" Princess Celestia asked.

"It's Nadir, the whole Storm is Nadir!" Mira shouted.

"What's a Nadir?" Daring Do asked.

"I AM THE GREAT DESTRUCTION OF YOUR UNIVERSE."

Through the jaws of the dragon, the Storm spoke once again. It's voice shook Mira to her core. It was so loud, so menacing, and so old that it felt like a being of immense power hidden just beyond a veil of darkness waiting to be released.

Princess Celestia watched Null rise to his feet upon the brow of the dragon, once more a hollow husk. Mira's hands suddenly gripped Princess Celestia's arm, turning she could see tears welling in her eyes.

"You promised." Mira whispered. "Don't let Nadir destroy your world like he did mine."

It was clear what Mira wanted from her. Although, Princess Celestia could not bring herself to do it, to destroy Mira and take away the Storm's only chance of opening the portals. Her hesitation had allowed Null the time needed to make the first move against them. With the Storm surging through him, Null raised his arm which mirrored the dragon's movements as well.

 _"Behold the power of an Eternal Master!"_

The unbroken arm of the dragon slammed into the ground, a flourish of dark energy poured into the earth. From the dirt, the Echoes that had hounded them through the tunnels began to rise up from the ground. Faces twisted in torment, limbs misshapen to bludgeoning clubs and spikes for arms and legs. Several dozen had quickly turned into several hundred as their numbers continued to climb, a massive army sweeping across the land.

 _"Your light belongs to me now!"_

With a thrust of his arm, Null commanded the Echoes to go forth. Hundreds if not thousands of these Echoes charged across the fields, trampling over one another, trying to sprint towards them as quickly as possible. The Storm Dragon lurched itself forward crushing many of the Echoes beneath it, although it appeared to make little difference as the creatures were suddenly reanimated from the crushed sand.

"Please…" Mira begged.

Princess Celestia could feel the situation becoming more dire by the minute. For a brief moment, she considered what her options were when she spotted something quite unusual. A rather large beetle had suddenly appeared crawling over the scales of the dragon, before another had come into view, and then another. Before long a sudden swarm of beetles had swarmed the fields, rolling giant balls of sand and goo across the massive legion of Echoes. Null turned from his perch upon the brow of the dragon, witnessing the sudden swarm of beetles that were now covering the dragon.

From the back of the swarm a large wolf bounded across the fields, steering the direction of the swarm towards the dragon, and nipping at the beetles that would not comply. Fluttershy, Spike, and Twilight were riding atop the wolf, holding of tightly as the speed in which the wolf ran was epic. The bark of the massive wolf rocked Mira's senses, having believed it to be her old friend Rok coming to save her once again.

The swarm of beetles were already devouring the buffet that the Elder Dragon's corpse offered to them. Tearing away bits and pieces, using its mighty pincers and acidic bile, the beetles were dismantling the dragon. Null was striking at the unending wave, using the dragon's massive claws to scratch away the infestation while the Storm struggled to shake them off.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Rainbow Dash moaned.

"It appears Twilight and the others have succeeded in Princess Sapphire's plan. We may still have a chance." Princess Celestia remarked.

With the mother wolf racing across the outside of the fields, still steering the wandering beetles back towards the dragon. Fluttershy leaned closer to the ear of the wolf mother to speak with it further.

"You're doing wonderfully. Just a bit more and that will be it." Fluttershy reassured.

"Twilight, isn't that Princess Celestia over there?" Spike asked.

Twilight and Spike were not very keen on riding atop a near housed wolf, let alone comfortable with its enormous leaps and bounds that it took.

"Have the wolf mother brings us as close as it can to Princess Celestia, we can meet up there and wait for the second part of the plan." Twilight suggested.

"If you would be so kind, could you bring us to our friends?" Fluttershy requested.

The mother wolf tore across the fields, leaping over the Echoes attempting to fight off the beetles. Charging through hoards of Echoes, trampling then under her mighty paws before coming upon the group of ponies that seemed rather unnerved by the massive size of the wolf.

"Rainbow Dash! Daring Do! Princess Celestia!" Twilight called out.

Sliding off the top of the mother wolf, Twilight and Spike were quick to meet up with their friends while Fluttershy gently floated down to speak with the wolf once more.

"Thank you so very much for all your help. We can handle everything from here. Please say hello to Amarok and your other adorable puppies for us."

There was a whine from the wolf mother, her worry for her pups put her on edge, but with her task complete she would be reunited again shortly.

Just before leaving the eyes of the wolf mother darted towards the other ponies before catching sight of Mira, who stared longingly at her, but a bit frightened by her presence. The giant wolf suddenly approached Mira, sniffing rather loudly as it drew its snout towards her. Desperately trying to hide behind Princess Celestia's leg, Mira watched her leap away from the wolf.

Not wanting to have a wolf of that size become so friendly with her, but also needed the space necessary to defend herself and the others if things would become violent between them. Mira stood frozen, her hands clasped together, allowing herself to be sniffed by the wolf mother unsure of what her reaction would be. Surprisingly, the wolf mother whined a rather softly, nudging her nose against Mira to show affection to her.

"I'm sorry…" Mira whispered to her.

With the sudden roar of the Storm, fighting against the swarm of beetles that now covered most of its scales, the wolf backed off quickly before bolting off towards the Valley of Shadows to reunite with her pups. Mira started after the wolf mother but slowed her glide, mystified that there was another wolf of Rok's kind within the Kingdom of Naught.

"A friend of yours?" Princess Celestia presumed.

"No… not exactly." Mira mumbled.

"Princess Celestia," Twilight interjected. "Princess Sapphire has a plan to stop the dragon from-"

"Rarity and Pinkie Pie have already filled us in on Sapphire's plan. I am glad to see that you were successful in completing your part in it." Princess Celestia informed her.

"Shouldn't we be seeing them by now?" Spike asked nervously.

Null withdrew a massive bulk of the Storm, gathering it within his forearm. Driving his fist upon the brow of the dragon, a sudden pulse of the Storm erupted from within dragon's chest, blowing hundreds of beetles in all directions while leveling a wide berth of the Echoes that surrounded it.

Two streaks of fire emerged from the ranks of Echoes, blazing a trail of fire that headed straight for the dragon.

" _Lord Wick, Lord Pyre, your fire is capable of harming the Storm, whatever it is that brought you to that level… to that intensity, I ask that exude it upon the dragon. The ilk of beetles will be a catalyst for your fire, set it aflame and burn it._ "

Wick and Pyre raced towards the dragon, hurdling and dodging through the sudden rainfall of beetle and Echo. The level in which Princess Sapphire has asked of them was difficult enough to obtain when focused and stationary, but near impossible while in motion with their minds racing.

Having attempted to destroy Null before with such an attack, it left them severely weakened for the overuse of their fire, and would have surely fallen to the Storm if not for Smolder's interference.

"Do you remember what mother said to us before she left?" Pyre asked.

Wick tried not to think of it, especially concerning this particular memory, but this one had been engrained into his heart. He could still see the face of his mother silently weeping as she kissed him goodbye before speaking her parting words to them. Snorting at the idea of having to reiterate his mother's words Wick's fire flourished into a sudden flurry of flames that seeped over to his brother.

"Just make sure you get clear of the dragon." Wick replied.

Waves of flames washed over the dragon, seeming impervious to the hard shells of the beetles, as the ilk ignited the caked scales of the dragon. Wick and Pyre separated at the back of the dragon's tail, spewing their fire up and across its body.

Null watched the fire roar across the dragon's scales, racing towards him as the beetles carried on about their work without hindrance from the flames. Null raised his hand towards the light, preparing to absorb it as he did before, but felt the dragon suddenly falling down into the earth.

Sick squelching sounds broke through the earth shattering quakes of the world breaking apart. Massive tentacles exploded from the ground. Wrapping themselves around the Storm Dragon as the creature Kana attempted to drag it down into the depths.

Thousands of Echoes were battling hundreds of enormous beetles, a deceased Elder Dragon being puppeteer by a malicious Storm, while the Dark King fought to maintain control over its prize.

"Pinkie Pie and Rarity were able to convince the Void Walkers into helping us!" Twilight rejoiced.

Mira watched the creature Kana slam her tentacles hard upon the back of the dragon crushing beetle and Echo alike as it wrestled with it. Unable to believe that this was actually happening.

"But, where is Princess Sapphire in all this?" Rainbow Dash asked.

* * *

I was in the warpath of the Echoes, unable to get my hooves under me. My body was still numb from whatever the Phoenix had done to me. Trying to pick myself up off the ground I suddenly felt a hoof take hold of my arm.

Looking up I saw Sapphire pulling my arm up over her head and helping me back onto my hooves. Leaning against her for support, I stared at her to see her smiling back at me.

"Like I said, Smolder, I've got your back." Sapphire stated.

I couldn't help but smile at her. I could feel my flames roaring back, my strength beginning to return, and I felt this new power within me. Stepping aside from Sapphire to let myself stand on my own, I quickly took hold of her hoof as she began to pull her arm away.

"Sapphire," I began.

I didn't know how to put what I was feeling into words. I never believed I would have ever been given the chance to meet my mother and I almost felt sorry that I did. If only because of how short our meeting was and what I had promised to do. To destroy myself to stop the Storm, to stop Nadir, I knew it would protect everypony else and I was okay with that. Except that the last time I was planning on doing something like this, Sapphire was there.

Sapphire looked at me expectantly, waiting for what I had to say.

She had promised to have my back before the battle with the Orc, she fought by my side during the fight, carried me to safety, defended me from spiders, and begged me not to enter the portal. Having come all this way and to find her still standing with me in the face of unspeakable evil had me close to crying.

"Thanks for not… leaving me." I whispered.

I was gripping her hoof rather tightly, finding it hard to say these words. It revealed that I had been scared, that I had doubted her, that I was relieved that she was here, but most of all it revealed how much I relied on her. How much I needed her.

"I couldn't." Sapphire replied.

Her hoof was now tightly gripping mine. Leaning in closer to me. I could feel her head pressing against mine and hearing her icy mane hiss with my flames.

"You're… important to me."

Important. It seemed to come with so many meanings, so many different descriptions to how and why, but for some reason it made me feel extremely happy. I was important enough to Sapphire that she'd sacrifice so much to help me. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Spike, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, had all sacrificed for me because they felt I was important.

Electricity surged through out the air. It brought everypony's attention towards the sky. Light being casted from the burning Storm Dragon illuminated the source of all the energy.

Four black orbs sparked throughout the Kingdom of Naught, their thunderous boom was heard throughout the land as it brought the Storm to heel.

An unseen force had Null lifted by the chest, the Storm being forcefully taken from the dragon and filtered through him. Shrieking and roaring in its pain, the Storm was being forcefully drawn out by the black orbs. Four enormous portals snapped open revealing the armies of the Ashen Fields, the Jungle Ponies, the Frozen North, and the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers awaiting on the other side. The Storm was being pulled between all four portals, stretching it far and thin, creating a ring around the fields of Ouroboros.

* * *

Lord Nox of Mustangia had personally requested to be a part of the effort to save those trapped beyond the portal, wanting to see first hoof at what sort of pony this flame pony king was to merit all this trouble. Duke Wellington offered him the chance to come to Trottingham to be apart of their effort from their portal. Perhaps nothing in his most wildest of dreams could have prepared him for what he saw beyond the portal.

It was just a few minutes away from the scheduled time to open the portal. Night had already fallen. The moon was now slowly creeping across the sky as the Obelisks flowed from its light.

Sir Arthur Tulius has returned with the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers to aide in the rescue efforts with Duke Wellington and Lord Nox at the front of the ranks.

"Is this flame pony _really_ everything you claim him to be?" Lord Nox asked.

"You believe the truth in all things. Kid's honest. His actions are honest. His motives are honest. All he hides is his feelings, but his flames give him away every time." Duke Wellington replied.

"Why does he hide his feelings?"

"Because he's a kid." The Duke said.

Lord Nox could hear it in his voice. This flame pony who had taken it upon himself to save entire world after just being given the mantle as king, was still just a kid.

"He ain't got a mother to tell him no. His father can't begin to care what happens to him. Brothers are nowhere to be found. Kid needs to know that somepony cares about what happens to him."

Arthur stepped forward. "Thirty seconds, my Lord."

Clearing his throat, the Duke knew that the portal would activate on his command, having been powered by the light of the moon alone.

"Alright then, uh, open up!" The Duke shouted.

The Obelisks remained inactive.

"Don't make me come over there!"

A sudden burst of power ignited the Obelisks into black flames, a black sphere formed between them as it raised itself higher into the air. The Duke did not know what to expect when the portal would open. He wasn't expecting to see a mountain sized dragon ablaze with an equally large squid attacking it with misshapen creatures and bugs fighting one other when the portal snapped open.

"Sweet Celestia…" Lord Nox mumbled.

"First pony to find me that thick headed son of a mule flame pony gets a knighthood!" The Duke bellowed.

It was obvious that his words were merely a substitute for a more sentimental rally cry, but their purpose was clear.

"Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers!" Sir Arthur Tulius announced.

"Let's bring this flame king home!" The Duke cries out.

* * *

From high up in the mountain, a large opening that offered the hidden jungle village light and warmth had now been used to power the revealed Obelisks at the bottom of the lake. The portal had already snapped open revealing the Kingdom of Naught before them.

Tier floated to the edge of the portal, the whole of Chieftain Talon's jungle pony army at her back awaiting for her signal to move out. Almost mystified by the prospect of returning to her homeland, the shrieks of the Storm and of the mourning battle had shaken her nostalgia.

"Just say the word." Talon reassured her.

"Talon, I will not ask you or your ponies to follow me, but I will be going to find my friend." Tier stated.

"We will follow our _heart_ to the ends of the earth, for we are all family, we are all friends. One tribe. One home." Talon declared.

With a strong backing by his jungle warrior ponies shouting their support, Talon stepped forward with his staff raised high to signal his army.

"The Heart of the Jungle came to us in our time of need! Today we repay this debt! Fight hard! Be strong! And never turn your back to the enemy!"

Tier clenched her hands tightly, feeling a sudden wave of courage of her own. Desiring to find her friend again and save _her_ from the Storm this time. A sudden explosion of purple light streamed from Tiers head, heralding the resolve in her own strength to bring an end to this fight. Flying with great speed into the Fields of Ouroboros, the jungle ponies charged in after her.

* * *

The portal from the Frozen North had opened, revealing not the Storm nor a dragon, or even their missing Princess. Lord Tundra, Lady Frost, and the whole of the Frozen North's army stood before the Mad King Scorch who looked very pleased at their arrival.

Stepping forward through the portal, Lord Tundra directed his armies to move out with a single thrust of his wing. Commander Sleet acknowledged, directing his armies to cut to the left and right of the Mad King, forking their way around before charging into the fight to recover Princess Sapphire and the other missing ponies.

Within the ranks of Ice pony soldiers were the retired General Hearth, his brother Coal Hearth, his son Warrior Hearth and daughter Summer Hearth. Warrick nor Summer had ever seen the Mad King, his presence alone was enough to give them chills, while Coal could not believe of the state the Mad Kong's body had deteriorated into.

The eyes of the Mad King never left that of Lord Tundra, knowing that he know stood between him and the rest of Equestria.

"Always such the cold stare, Chuck." The Mad King quipped. "Still the same limped horned King that whittled away at his ice while the world suffered around him."

"Scorch?" Lord Tundra asked amusingly. "You look terrible."

"Funny, you should see what I've done to your precious snowflake." Scorch spat.

Lord Tundra lunged at Scorch, eyes burning brilliantly and magic erupting from his horn, but found Wingston attempting to get between them.

"No, my Lord! He has not harmed your daughter! To this I swear!"

Lord Tundra stood face to face with the Mad King. Even with his power mounting, the flames of the Mad King were beginning to make Lord Tundra sweat.

"Why are you defending this abomination of a pony, Wingston? He doesn't deserve such mercy." Lord Tundra questioned.

"There is little time to explain, my Lord. I urge to find Princess Sapphire as quickly as you can before she does anything more reckless than she already has." Wingston urged.

"Yes, run to your wailing infant, Chuck." The Mad King said. "Leave Martha to do all your fighting for you."

Lady Frost shifted uncomfortably at her name being spoken by Scorch, but Lord Tundra refuses to budge even though his heart was racing anxiously for the safety of his daughter.

"I would have made it quick, Scorch, painless even, but Martha wouldn't be so kind."

The Mad King took a step forward, nearly nose to nose with the Lord Tundra now.

"You were always a coward. Never knew what it meant to be a King. You've never been in a real battle. Oh! But I'm forgetting, my son had to force your hand by involving your precious daughter in that fight."

Lord Tundra didn't respond. Unfortunately what Scorch had said was true. Conflict was rare for Lord Tundra and that sad truth of it was that if Sapphire had decided to come home he would have never offered to help fight the Elder Dragon.

"The only thing you've ever did that was remotely worth a damn was sire that wailing filly you called a princess and you've already lost her to my son."

Lord Tundra began to move but felt his Queen take hold of his arm. Standing at his side and glaring at Scorch.

"I wonder what Lady Sunbeam would think after seeing you the way you are now? Perhaps we'll never know seeing as you've destroyed everything you ever remotely gave a damn about."

The Mad King snorted disdainfully. Lady Frost pulled on Lord Tundra's arm away from the Mad King to join the others. Her words seemed to have rattled Scorch as his flames flared viciously, but refused to look either of them in the face anymore.

"Wingston?" Lord Tundra asked aloud.

Wingston had remained by Scorch's side watching the two of them walk away. Looking up at Scorch who refused to even acknowledge him anymore, Wingston felt that his presence would be better served elsewhere.

"Please Wingston, do not trouble yourself with him anymore. Smolder needs you more then he ever will." Lady Frost insisted.

"Go. Wingston." The Mad King spat. "Bother somepony else with your inane babbling for once."

"Is this the command of the King I once served the conscious of the father who can't bear to hear the truth any longer?" Wingston asked.

"Believe what you like, I have no need of you."

The Mad King stepped away from Wingston, heading towards the open portal. It wasn't certain if Scorch could survive the subarctic temperatures of the Frozen North in the current state of his body, but it would be give him access to Equestria once again. Wingston took a hobbled step after his friend in the attempt to reach him one final time.

"You tasked me with ensuring the future of your kingdom and it's ponies. When you accepted me as your Royal Adviser and as your friend. Every moment of my life has been spent trying to fulfill this, to carry out your wish, because I believed in the future that you wanted to build. I had almost lost sight of it, coming so close to despair, but your son gave me hope. I put all of my effort into raising him, guiding him down the path that had been once walked by another, knowing that it would be filled with such hardship and obstacles, but never doubting his ability to succeed."

The Mad King did not give any pause to Wingston's words.

"It was because he was so much like you that it scared even me into believing that I could have given rise to another Mad King someday, but after today I realize that my fears were misplaced. For I had thought that you had succumb to the darkness freely, that the pain you carried was solely yours, but never did I imagine it was for another. Many ponies never knew who you were deep down, Scorch, perhaps I'm the only one left who really does. Everything Smolder has done, everything you had done, comes from the very reason you are the way your are now. He was being kind."

It was enough to get the Mad King to stop. He even turned to look at Wingston who bowed low to him before turning and leaving the Mad King.

"If you would be so kind, my Lord and Lady, to bring me to Lord Smolder."

Lord Tundra offered Wingston his wing, lifting him up into his back before giving Scorch one last look of contempt. Lord Tundra and Lady Frost seemed rather confused by Wingston's parting words, wondering how the word 'kind' described the Mad King at all. They took to the skies to regroup with the other leaving Scorch staring after them.

The Mad King could feel the word echo within him. Just the idea of it made him angry, but this anger was not one of rage but shame. Turning back towards the portal, Scorch found himself staring at his own reflection again, the young proud pony he once was glaring back at him. Looking down at himself he could see his massive dragon claws clutching him, binding him tightly in its grip. Looking back at his reflection he could see its mouth begin to move.

" _What have you done?_ "


	66. Chapter 66: Battle for Naught (Part 2)

The Mad King felt the grip of the Elder Dragon Char tighten around him. It's claws pierced through his hide, interlocked, and almost fused with him. There was no pain to be had, the Mad King stared at the image of himself with the pane of glass. The young fool that had allowed his Kingdom to come undone, to allow an Orc to make a mockery of his pride, and knelt before a dragon from weakness.

"What I've done?" The Mad King hissed.

This reflection only stared back him now. It infuriated the Mad King, having to look this pathetic pony in the eyes. Struggling against the claws, trying to divert his gaze from his reflection. The Elder Dragon growled along with the Mad King efforts to move, snorting in its distaste, but refusing to allow the Mad King to move an inch.

" _What have you done?_ "

Slowly the reflection repeated itself over and over again. Increasing in volume with every word it spoke. It's tone was changing, it was becoming fearful, almost horrified as it was now shouting the words at him. The eyes within the reflection exploded with fire, the body peeling away, the shrill cries of agony of the reflection filled his ears. His reflection was consumed within the inferno, collapsing into a pile of ash, before the fire died away completely.

The Mad King tried to step forward to inspect this ash ridden pile of his own reflection, but found himself unable to do so. Struggling against the claws of the dragon, the Mad King could not draw himself from its grasp.

"Let go!" The Mad King commanded.

Try as he might, the Mad King could not budge a single claw. His struggle only tired him. His eyes fell back to the pile of ash where he found himself locking eyes with his father. A claw of the dragon had twitched, drawing itself slightly from the Mad King's hide, reacting to the sudden overwhelming feeling Scorch had at seeing his father again.

The Wise King Phoenix offered Scorch his hoof. Instinctively, the Mad King tried to reach for it, but found himself unable to move his arm beneath the Elder Dragon's crushing grip. A new found fury had filled Scorch, wildly trying to wrench himself from the dragon's grasp, but failed over and over again. The darkness slowly crept in behind the Wise King Phoenix, slowly surrounding him as it garnered his attention and drew him away from the Mad King.

"Father!" The Mad King cried.

His words fell deaf to the Wise King. It followed the darkness away from Scorch, much to his dismay. He shouted to his father again, watching the darkness begin to consume him. The Wise King started to struggle, attempting to rid himself of the darkness, but it would not let him go. Fire shot from the Mad King's throat, threatening the darkness, cursing it, trying to free himself to reach his father, but he could not. The Mad King watched the darkness drag his father into the abyss, leaving him alone again.

Fury swept through the Mad King, demanding the Elder Dragon to release him, but was met with its silent refusal. His eyes were met with another pony this time, one that he knew very well, one that had followed him to the ends of the earth. His Glow stood before him, her eyes full of fear and pity.

The words for help were caught in his throat. His pride refusing to let him show any weakness, and yet Glow seemed to know all the same. The Mad King watched as his Queen struck her hooves against the pane of glass that separated them, silently calling out to him, trying to break through to reach him. Scorch could see movement in the darkness, anger filling him once again at the thought of the darkness returning.

"Stay back!" The Mad King cried.

Glow continued to strike the pane of glass to no avail, her hooves chipping from each hit, her face filled with sadness and on the verge of tears being unable to reach him. The Mad King watched as his Queen's face slowly began to change to fear, her eyes leaving his to look over her shoulder. Lightning broke across the sky, the Storm churning a ways off in the distance. Flaring her mane, the Mad King watched Glow turn her back to him to face it.

"No!" The Mad King shouted.

Glow gave Scorch once last look over her shoulder. Her face wracked with grief and pain. She bolted off towards the Storm, amidst the angry cries of the Mad King commanding her to stop. The Storm crashed down upon her, swallowing her in the darkness, and leaving the Mad King alone once again.

A tortured cry broke out from the Mad King, using all his might to move from the dragon, but gained only an inch from its grip. The Mad King collapsed upon the dragon's claws, breathing heavily, gritting his teeth from what he was forced to see. He kept his eyes to the ground, refusing to look up again, not knowing what else may be waiting for him.

" _I forgive you._ "

These words gave the Mad King a start. His head lifted to see Smolder staring at him. His son's face wracked from pain, but a small smile all the same. The Mad King watched as his son turned away, leaving him once more, just like he had in the cave. Before the Mad King could speak, the world was suddenly filled with the echoes of his own words.

 _"I don't need your forgiveness, Smolder! You are fool to think that seek any sort of absolution! Especially from such a stupid, worthless, undeserving pony like you!"_

Again the Storm churned in the distance, Smolder charging towards it, just as Glow had done. The Mad King moved to chase after him and found himself falling forward. Snow filled the Mad King's face, quickly melting before evaporating. Pulling himself upright, the Mad King found himself at the edge of the portal, having been freed from whatever it was that had pulled him into his own mind. He stared out at the frozen tundra that lay before him, feeling the wind fan his flames, but he did not move. The moan of the Storm groaned high over head, causing the Mad King to turn towards battle that was taking place far off in the distance now.

"Smolder..."

* * *

With the Storm nearly pulled from Null, he grasped at the strands of clouds leaving his chest in a desperate attempt hold on to it. An enormous tentacle slammed down hard upon the neck of the dragon, throwing Null violently into the air before falling back down onto its head. Without the Storm to keep the dragon resisting against the giant squid, it was being pulled underground.

 _"I will not be… denied… my destiny."_

With the Storm no longer able to sustain him, Null reached out towards the flames that roared across the carcass of the dragon and began to siphon bits of fire. All the while, the giant squid was mercilessly striking the dragon over and over again with its massive tentacles to break it apart to pull under the earth. Fighting to take the fire for itself.

Before the giant squid could pull its prey beneath the earth a powerful explosion of dark energy blasted the Elder Dragon to pieces. Kana began flailing wildly from the burning dark magic, flinging the burning remains of the Elder Dragon it still clung to across the world. From the black fire Null rose from the pit, hunched over, having exhausted much of the light he had absorbed.

Staggering his way from the open pit of the giant squid, Null retreated back to where the failing remnants of Castle Naught still stood. Hundreds upon thousands of Echoes raced past him, racing towards the light that washed out from the massive portals. A passing Echo slammed in Null's shoulder, knocking him easily to the ground. Whatever light that still clung to him was dwindling away, fear was all that kept Null moving towards the abyss and distancing himself from those that sought his demise.

From the other side of the vast ocean of mangled Echoes, Sapphire and I stood against the horde having witnessed Null's desperate attempt to save himself from the giant squid. With the Storm being stretched contained by the Obelisks' power, Null was vulnerable and the thought on everypony's mind was ending this nightmare.

Having witnessed Null's desperate attempt to cling to life, I found myself wondering how long Null had been alone with the Storm. How long it must have fed off of him, influencing him, just as my father had done to my brothers. I noticed Sapphire stepping up alongside me, her face looking rather determined, if not steeled for the coming battle.

"I have to reach Null, Sapphire." I said.

Sapphire flared her wings out, clouds of frost wafting from her feathers, looking elegant and fierce all at once. "I'll help create a path through these monsters and give you an opening to finish him once and for all."

My flames quickly surrounded me, my flash step having become more precise and controlled then it had been earlier. Perhaps it was due to this sudden awakening I had experienced, that my fire was no longer straining to reach this power, but whatever it ended up being I knew in my heart I felt stronger.

"I'll cut through the middle and break right. It will keep us out of reach of the giant squid. Just stick close to me and don't do anything stupid."

I walked up next to Sapphire, bumping her flank with my own. There was a small hiss from our ice and fire having touched. She looked rather surprised by my playfulness.

"Like what happened back in the cave?." I asked.

Sapphire's face was slightly flushed. I felt her flank bump against mine, her head turned away. It was easier than saying all the things we already knew, how much we wanted each other to stay safe, but this way was easier. The Echoes were breaking off in four separate directions, flooding towards the open portals. Far behind us was the portal to the Ashen Fields. Together Sapphire and I brought our fire and ice to the peak of its power. The tentacles of the creature Kana flailed in the air above, slamming down against the fields, crushing beetle and Echo alike. In a flash the two of us had raced off towards the swarm of Echoes, giving Sapphire the lead as her ice stretched across the fields before exploding into vicious icicles that skewered the Echoes in place and forcing the rest to branch off. A flick of her wings, Sapphire's ice had doubled in size violently expanding outwards and creating a cavern like path for the two of us to cut through. As I followed Sapphire in, I knew that I was still keeping secrets from her, that I would destroy myself trying to stop this Storm, but somewhere deep down I started to understand what my father must have felt when he faced the Elder Dragon alone.

* * *

The portal of the Ashen Fields had revealed everything at once. A giant squid beating down an inflamed corpse of the Elder Dragon with countless ghoulish creatures and beetles stampeding across the barren black sand with storm clouds wailing overhead being pulled from a single being. It was a lot to take on the first glance, although the sudden flourish of flames several miles out had gotten everypony's attention.

"This all looks so deliciously chaotic!" Discord exclaimed.

Princess Luna looked about, hoping to catch a glimpse of her sister, Twilight Sparkle, or any pony else. A small spark of light caught the corner of her eye, the familiar color of Princess Celestia's magic mixed in with those of Twilight's. It was safe to assume that they had not fallen prey to the dangers of the Void just yet.

"Soldiers of Phoenix!" General Horizon shouted.

Hundreds of flame pony soldiers straightened to attention, manes flaring with fire, knowing that the battle was just about to begin.

Flare, being acting Leader of the Academy, had to step aside to allow Ray to act as their commander. While some of her own flyers were in the mix, many of them were soldiers first before being brought over to the Academy and being placed under her own supervision. In times of crisis, Ray would supersede her in all things military related, but things did not strain their relationship. In fact, Ray had approached Flare in private to ask for guidance in what sort of strategy would best suit this particular battle. The title of General had only humbled her to seeking out those who she felt most qualified to the task she had been appointed to and sought to better herself.

"These fell deeds of darkness will run at the light of a flame pony."

Ray's words had every flame pony soldier striking their hooves into the ground, firing up their already blazing manes.

Princess Luna, along with Princess Cadance had already flared their wings, ready to take flight while Shining Armor positioned himself near Nightshade, Cosmic, and Peanut.

"Stick together and don't go off on your own." Shining Armor warned them.

"We've done crazier things than this." Cosmic pointed out.

"This is certainly up there." Peanut remarked.

"It's the weirdest, that's for sure." Nightshade added.

"We're here to get Smolder and everypony out in one piece. So don't go trying to be heroes again." Shining Armor tacked on.

Nightshade looked over to see that all three of them were looking his way.

"Why are you guys looking at me?"

"You're the one getting married you dolt." Peanut remarked.

"If you get killed, Belle will murder the rest of us." Cosmic replied.

"So do us a favor and keep your head down." Shining Armor concluded.

While their words seemed rather annoyed, if not exaggerated, it was clear to Nightshade that none of them wanted him doing anything reckless. With his recent engagement, their priorities had shifted on what was important and that had suddenly fallen to him. Each of them had their own special somepony to come home to now, but it appeared that Nightshade had become the scapegoat for everypony else's worry in the attempts to hide their own.

Flare took her place beside Ray's side, watching her dawn her grandfather's helmet once more.

"We cowered at the power of the Mad King, ran from the wrath of the Elder Dragon, and our King had to protect this Kingdom in our place."

In unison the soldiers grunted aloud their frustration at this fact, wanting nothing more than the single chance to rewrite this narrative forever.

"We're getting our King back and no Storm or paper mache dude is going to get in our way!"

Flare could not help but roll her eyes and smile at her remark. While it wasn't all that authoritative, but it was Ray through and through. It was several years to early for Ray to be speaking with such experience, but gave it more heart than any long winded speech she could have prepared.

"To the King!"

The thunderous roar of hundreds of hooves pounded the dirt. A wave of fire surged through the portal, racing across the black sand, and racing towards the swarm of Echoes stampeding towards them. Light from the army of flame ponies brightened the world considerably, revealing colors that had remained hidden in the shadows. Hundreds upon thousands of hues of multicolored rocks seemed to lay beneath the black sand, hinting at what the world once was and what it could be again.

The Echoes were no longer under Null's control, or the Storm for that matter. All that was left was a desire for light, a desperate hunger for it. It perhaps even made the Echoes even more dangerous as the very light they sought was so close to them now.

Battalions of ice ponies had veered off from the group, creating large ice walls to block off the hordes of Echoes from branching off. It forced them to come head on with the rest of the Frozen North armies that cut through the Echoes lines like scissors gliding through paper.

General Hearth, temporarily back for active duty, stuck close to his younger brother Coal and his nephew Warrick. While his heart still felt young and wild, he had lost a few steps over the years and a couple more with his battle with the Orc. Even with his cautious approach to his fire breathing, Coal seemed to pick up on his limitations rather quickly and focused his efforts in aiding his weak sides. Warrick on the other hoof was young and had plenty of steps to spare. He. Faced the brunt of the Echoes, defending his family with the tenacity of his father and the courage of his uncle, but most importantly the fury of attacks that stemmed from his mother.

"I take it that this is just another walk in the park for you, Warrick?" Coal asked.

"No - Yes." Both the General and Coal's son had answered him together.

The agreement came from his son, while his older brother was beginning to look winded from the excessive fire breathing.

"A different day, a different enemy, but I'm not the same pony as I used to be." General Hearth remarked. "This is a young pony's fight now."

"It will make a for wonderful bedtime story for your niece and nephews." Coal pointed out.

Several Echoes had come from a split in the earth, flanking both Warrick and Coal. Hearth aimed a blast of fire at these creatures but found himself choking on smoke. A gleam of metal reflected from the fires of Coal and Warrick, streaking across the flanking Echoes cutting them in two and dropping to the floor in a heap. Summer had magically appeared near her sword with her father coming over to thank her.

"Wonderful shot, sweetheart." Coal praised.

General Hearth smiled to himself, neither Coal nor Warrick had seemed worried over it, in fact they seemed perfectly calm as if knowing that some pony had their backs. It wasn't his job to uphold the family name anymore, the the legacy of Hearth was in good hooves with Coal's family, and that his family might just need him to be their Uncle rather than their hero.

"You doing alright, Uncle Rick?" Summer asked.

"Rick?" General Hearth asked.

Coal placed his hoof on Summer's shoulder, motioning his head towards the shifting battle with the Echoes off in the distance.

"We've got things under control here, sweetie. Find Princess Sapphire and get her out." Coal told her.

Summer nodded to her father, giving him a one armed hug before disappearing on the spot again. General Hearth walked up alongside Coal, watching Warrick lead a charge with his fellow ice pony soldiers to break the line of Echoes. It wasn't hard to see that Coal was visibly worried for his children, but smile of pride broke out across his face.

"Warrick," Coal began. "having to you leave behind all those years ago had taught me a very hard lesson. One about having to let go of those I care about."

General Hearth knew what Coal was feeling. He had buried it deep down after his own wife had been taken from him. It burned at the base of his heart, fueling his fire, but now it seemed to have cooled after all these years.

"But until recently, letting go of those who matter to me have a way of surviving on their own and finding their way back home anyways."

With the battle shifting further away from them, General Hearth seated himself next to his brother taking a moment to let this all sink in.

"I'm not sure if I like being called uncle Rick." Hearth mumbled.

Coal smiled sitting alongside him. Knowing that his brother always gave him an out when sharing things close to him, because it was so very important to Coal that his brother saw him just as strong and unshakable as he was.

"You'll have to tell that to Lily, your shy little niece was the one that started calling you that." Coal replies.

"Well in that case I rather quite like being called Uncle Rick."

* * *

Summer leapted out of the swing of Kana's tentacle, covering her face from the rock and dirt it broke up. With so many ice ponies surrounding it, Kana's attention was focused on the only light it could reach in the form of Summer, Warrick, General Hearth and Coal. The ice ponies were attempting to freeze Kana solid, to prevent it from struggling anymore, as Sapphire had done earlier, but having tasted the fire of the Twins the giant squid fought for every inch it could muster.

Princess Sapphire was just on the other side of the giant squid, facing down the Echoes and attempting to reach Null with Smolder. Even with Lord Tundra and Lady Frost present within the fight, Summer felt that her place should be beside her friend. Unfortunately, there was the problem of the giant squid that had decided that she and her family would make quite the meal.

With the army of flame pony soldiers striking at the heart of the Echoes, Kana could feel the warmth of their fire against the ice coating its body. A thick secretion of acidic slime swelled across Kana, melting the ice quickly, forcing many ice ponies to retreat from the harmful ooze. With a massive swing the giant squid whipped its tentacle, splattering it's acidic goo across the fields. Summer was one of the many unicorn ponies that preemptively conjured a shield to block much of the goo from reaching the other ponies far from the battle.

Their magical shield held fast, the acidic goo appeared useless against magic, but the issue was moving the creature to a place where no pony would get hurt by it. The focus necessary to coordinate their joint effort in moving the ooze had Summer planted in her stance. Unable to move while concentrating her magic, the giant squid saw its opportunity and whipped its tentacle towards the small morsel of light.

Warrick was already racing towards Summer's aid, his flash step beginning to spark, but noticed a blue streak nearly at her side. The streak turned out to be a Pegasi ice pony colliding with her from the side, knocking her clear of Kana's tentacle. The force of the creatures strike broke open the earth throwing dirt and rock into the air.

Bleak rolled across the ground with Summer in his arms. Shielding her from the fallout of earth that rained down upon them. Summer had assumed it had been Warrick or even her father who had gotten to her first, but she would never have guessed who it turned out to be.

"Bleak?" Summer asked.

"Hey, beautiful."

There was a flutter in Bleak's heart, having seen his special somepony again. It was quickly filled with fear at the sudden rage that swept over Summer's face.

Summer immediately kicked Bleak off of her, mane flaring wildly. Her magic was already unsheathing her sword with a wild look in her eyes.

"Now, Summer, let's be reasonable here!"

"Oh! I'll be reasonable! In how I cut you into equal portions and dump them on the Frozen Sea!"

Bleak was backpedaling quickly. Bumping flanks with Warrick. Believing it to be another enemy, Warrick spin on the spot and found himself being used as a shield against Summer.

"Hey, weren't you that one pony who used to run the gambling den back behind-"

Summer's sword cut through the air, swinging wildly at the Bleak and forcing Warrick to dodge as well.

"Summer!" Warrick barked.

"Move or die, Warrick!" Summer shouted.

Warrick immediately wrestled himself free of Bleak's grasp before hightailing it away from the two of them. Knowing that a flame pony scorned was no joke.

"Summer, sweetness, you know why we had to break up, right?" Bleak asked.

"Break up? Break up! You dumped me!"

With a magic pop, Summer teleported right in front of Bleak, her sword raised high to cleave him in two. Throwing himself aside he got clear of her swing but bumped up against Coal, Summer's father.

Coal turned to see who had run into him and almost recognized him. "Aren't you that one pony who sells magical elixirs for headaches near the supermarket?"

"Hello, sir, glad to see the elixir worked." Bleak replied.

"I don't think it did to be honest."

Summer turned towards the two of them, her sword being aggressively pulled from the ground.

"Everything alright, sweetie?" Coal asked her.

"Sir, if I may be so bold to assume that she never told you about our little break up?" Bleak asked.

"Oh, so you're the colt Summer refuses to talk about."

Coal immediately took hold of Bleak's arm and shoulder before shoving him Summer's way.

"Best of luck, sweetie."

With a vicious shriek, Summer lunged at Bleak. Her sword narrowly avoiding his head as it sliced his cloudy mane in two. Bleak scrambled away from her. Bleak was seriously considering running towards the giant squid and taking his chances with it then Summer. It had been sometime since their breakup, it wasn't all that clean as Bleak would have liked, but he wasn't about to let Summer give up an opportunity she worked so hard for. Then again, perhaps not talking to her since the split wasn't the best way to go about things.

"Summer, look, I was a loser! You had your whole life in front of you and I wasn't going to be the pony that held you back!"

Bleak's words seemed to register with her. Everypony who knew about her and Bleak had told her how bad a colt he was and how he would be a bad influence on her. Bleak could see that it had bought him a few precious seconds from her magical sword.

"It just wasn't because of that though. I wanted to be a pony you'd want to tell your friends about, a pony you could introduce to your family to, a pony that you could be proud of. I've tried cleaning up my act and I've tried playing it straight, because I wanted to be a pony that you could depend on and not be embarrassed by me."

His own words hit him harder than he thought. Having said it out loud made all the difference then just thinking it. Even as a cadet at the Academy, Bleak wasn't at a point in his life where he felt like he was worth much.

Summer's sword dropped to the sand. Her arms coming around Bleak's shoulders and pulling him in for a hug.

"I didn't fall in love with you because you were a well put together noble pony." Summer mumbled. "You were a scrappy, quick witted, silver tongued, rebel that stole my heart on a bet."

Bleak found himself hugging her back. Feeling the familiar warmth of her flames lick at his icy mane. There was also the cold brush of steel that slowly drew itself across Bleak's stomach. A nervous shake took him over as the sword seemed to traveling much further south than any bird flew.

"But break my heart again and I'll carve you up like one of Princess Sapphire's ice sculptures."

Winter swallowed hard. "Understood."


	67. Chapter 67: Battle for Naught (Part 3)

Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle were firing spells in all directions trying to fend off the Echoes that had skewed off from the rest. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do we're flying close to the ground providing crowd control, flying at large groups of Echoes and smashing into them to break them up. Fluttershy carried Spike through the air, allowing him to breathe fire at some of the Echoes if not to impede them but distract them to give the other ponies a clear shot.

From afar the Echoes were suddenly turning back around, a source of bright light had appeared within the distance as it grew closer and closer. It wasn't hard to figure out that the Twins were charging their way through the horde of Echoes trying to reach Princess Celestia and the others to offer support.

With a rather generous amount of magic, Princess Celestia fired a spell that obliterated a large section of the Echoes giving the twins a chance to come through. In a flash the Twins galloped through the makeshift path with an army of Echoes quickly closing in. With speed on their side, the Twins met up with every pony with the Echoes just minutes behind.

"Every pony alright?" Pyre asked.

"We're getting by." Daring Do replied.

The Twins looked about, seeming confused at to what was supposed to be here and was obviously not.

"Where is Lady Sapphire?" Pyre asked.

" _And_ Smolder?" Wick added.

"Was this not part of the plan?" Princess Celestia asked.

The Twins looked at one another. An unspoken conversation seemed to take place between them. A simple brow raise, to a frown, a deep breath, and a loud exhale seemed to have been enough to come to a conclusion of what had happened.

"Lady Sapphire has decided to _help_ our brother defeat Null, rather than to bring him back to the portal." Pyre informed them.

"Why would she do something so reckless like that?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Ice Ponies have always had a sort of… selflessness towards those they really care about." Pyre replied.

There was an audible growl that came from Mira. The Twins turned to her, looking rather surprised to see the fabled Arcana up close. It was clear to them that her displeasure stemmed from Princess Sapphire hanging around Smolder.

The sudden explosion that had come from the Kana and the mangled body of the Great Dragon Char had every pony shielding their heads from the falling debris. From the corner of her eye, Mira watched as Null shambled away, trying to flee from the fight.

"Give me some of your fire!" Mira demanded.

"I beg your pardon?" Pyre asked.

"This is our one chance to stop Null and if Smolder is going to make it out of this alive he's going to need all of _our_ help to do it."

The Twins made no move to give in to Mira's demand. Even though their information about the Arcana came from their father, it made no difference to them about the ramifications of sharing their fire with such a creature. They had seen first hoof at what it did to Smolder and the thought of them being placed in a similar state didn't sit well with them.

"What we need is another plan, one that we are all willing to adhere to and not make such brash decisions." Pyre suggested.

"Agreed. Sapphire's plan has succeeded for the most part, but our continued separation puts every pony at risk. We shall fall back to the city and rendezvous with Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie there." Princess Celestia stated.

With Flame and Ice Pony already beginning their charge to combat the Echoes, it would be the best opportunity for every pony to slip away and regroup.

"And once we're all together, we can use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Null for good." Twilight added.

"That is if Smolder doesn't get to it-" Wick had been cut short.

Mira had lunged at the Twins, grabbing both of their arms and quickly siphoned some of their fire. With her blue stardust like hair glowing moderately brighter then it had before, Mira let go of the two dazed colts and slammed her hands together before disappearing in a flash of black fire. Both of the Twins swayed for a moment before finding their balance and holding their respective heads.

"Are you two alright?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You know it doesn't feel any better when she does it either." Wick mentioned.

"The little Arcana is going to get herself killed." Pyre mumbled.

"I know she's rather small but she can hold her own against those creatures just fine." Daring Do reassured.

"That's not what I meant. The Arcana underestimated the amount of fire she has taken from us." Pyre retorted.

"Please explain." Princess Celestia stated.

"While our father and little brother like to display their fire in a rather grandiose way, many Flame Ponies regulate their fire to conserve energy. It could be best described as stoking the fire." Pyre began.

"We keep our flames at a moderate level or even lower to conserve energy. The Arcana has merely gotten a small sampling of it, the second she tries to use that energy she's going to realize how minimal it really is." Wick concluded.

The sound of a horn being blown from the east near the Forgotten City had stolen everypony's attention. The Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers had begun their charge. Princess Celestia could not leave all these ponies on their own to find Mira again and taking them all into the heart of the battle was not an option either.

"We fall back to the city. We'll regroup and plan our next step from there." Princess Celestia decided.

* * *

The Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers swarmed out from the portal. The portal had opened just on the outskirts of the Forgotten City. It was clear that this portal was the furthest from all of the fighting, which allowed them time to come up with a strategy in which to approach the battle.

"Get into formation now, lads! Post haste! Let's not keep these freaks waiting for the beating we're about to serve them!" Arthur Tullius ordered.

The ranks of the fusiliers were being reformed, following Arthur's command, just as he began to speak of the mission they were about to under take. The roar of the Storm from over head put many of them at unease, but for the portals keeping it contained it brought some comfort.

"I should be at home right now with my beloved wife and my three adorable daughters. But because the Duke personally asked me to oversee this mission, I knew that the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers would accomplish it in record time that I would still be able to get home to kiss my girls goodnight. That mission is to save the King of the Flame ponies and several civilian ponies that got caught up in this mess. So heads up, look these foul creatures in the eye like any good Trottingham pony would, and have them remember why the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers are considered to be the best fighting force in the world!"

The Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers grunted in unison.

"First battalion will lead the charge and set up a perimeter. Second battalion will push the line. Look to your commanding officers for further instructions once the battle gets underway."

Arthur raised his battle horn to his lips, blowing hard into it as the sound of the charge had been given. The first battalion took off while the second battalion followed soon after, many of the commanding officers dictated their own battalions rolls in the fight and instructed them with the parts they would be concerning themselves with.

Near the edge of the portal, Lord Nox and the Duke were in awe of what they were seeing, a while other world was something already far beyond their understanding, but the sheer size of the Forgotten City had them reeling.

"Incredible." Lord Nox whispered. "It is like something out of a dream."

"I don't believe it." The Duke mumbled.

"I know, it's staggering. The number of years alone it must have taken to build something like this and the stone that would be needed is unimaginable." Lord Nox replied.

"I wasn't talking about the city."

Lord Nox tore his gaze away from the Forgotten City to the Duke, but to find him still staring in the city's direction. Turning his head back, his eyes fell upon an even stranger sight coming from the edge of the Forgotten City.

"Your Dukedom! We're still alive!"

Pinkie Pie waved her arms wildly in the air, trying to get his attention. Applejack and Rarity were close behind, visibly pleased and relieved to see them as well.

"Friends of yours?" Lord Nox asked.

"Don't go spreading that around." The Duke mumbled.

Pinkie Pie launched herself at the Duke for an airborne hug, but the Duke sidestepped her. Pinkie Pie landed in the sand but her excitement did not change in the slightest.

"Nice try." The Duke mumbled.

"You have no idea how glad we are to see you again. These last few days have been most unpleasant." Rarity remarked.

Rarity and Applejack trotted up to the Duke, who wore a relieved smile himself seeing them unharmed, but noticed that they were at a loss to who his companion was.

"Everypony, this is Lord Nox, leader of Mustangia. He's here to oversee the mission we are all undertaking to rescue that kid from the Storm." The Duke introduced.

Lord Nox bowed his head to them, Applejack and Rarity returning the gesture.

"Lord Nox, these are those ponies from Ponyville we discussed in length." The Duke continued.

"So these are the fabled ponies that have risked life and limb to help the flame pony King. You lot have made quite an impact on our decision to open these portals. I hope that it won't come back to bite us in the flank." Lord Nox said.

"With that there Storm being contained by the portals, it's just a matter getting rid of Null. I'm sure ol' Ash is already on it." Applejack replied.

"Ash? I thought the King's name was Smolder?" Nox asked.

"Sparky is a better name!" Pinkie Pie interjected.

The horn of Arthur Tullius rang out once more drawing the attention of Lord Nox and the Duke. From the way the horn was being played, the Duke could identify it as being a warning, but it seemed rather unlikely that the any trouble was to arise to quickly. In the distance, everypony saw a sight so incredible that it may have almost made the Duke smile. For it was Princess Celestia leading everypony else towards them with great haste with the horn signifying their approach.

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack hurried to greet them, Princess Celestia floated towards Lord Nox and the Duke looking very happy to see them.

Lord Nox bowed his head to her. "Princess Celestia, thank the Elements you are unharmed."

"Lord Nox, Duke Wellington, it is a great pleasure to see some friendly faces. Is my sister with you?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Princess Luna teamed up with the flame ponies. She and the others are coming through the portal from the Ashen Fields." The Duke replied.

Looking beside Princess Celestia, the Duke could see the Twins standing off to the side, watching the three of them converse. It wasn't hard for him to tell that these two flame colts were the infamous flame pony twins of the Mad King Scorch, but was more disheartening was that they were still missing a brother.

"Where's the kid?" The Duke asked.

"Smolder is attempting to finish this by destroying Null. Princess Sapphire is assisting him in this effort, but we have chosen to fallback and regroup for the time being." Princess Celestia stated.

"A wise decision, your royal highness. It would be best to minimize the risk of civilian ponies getting lost again." Lord Nox confirmed.

"Some of this ponies are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony, Nox." The Duke reminded.

"And until these wielders have the powers they need, they would pose a great liability if one was to get lost or hurt." Lord Nox retorted.

"If the elder ponies are done bickering, perhaps we can form some sort of plan that doesn't have us measuring our-"

Wick was cut short by a sudden elbowing from Pyre. Lord Nox seemed unamused by Wick's implications, but the Duke found the bluntness of it refreshing.

"Prince Pyre and Prince Wick, you're a lot taller since we last met. Although you were merely babes at the time, but still just as much of a headache." The Duke replied.

"Alright, listen up you jack-"

Pyre had clapped a hoof over his brother's mouth.

"Wick and I would very much like to speak candidly with your highnesses, but our first and foremost concern is Smolder." Pyre replied.

"The faster we find Luna, the faster we can have the Elements of Harmony in our arsenal to help Smolder defeat Null. We should take to the portal by the-"

Princess Celestia had slowly trailed off, a noise had reached her ears that seemed very strange to her. Every other pony had heard it as well. It was a cracking sound, almost like ice on a lake breaking apart, but it was much more profound.

"What in the world?" The Duke mumbled.

"Sir Duke Wellington! Sir!"

A voice from the other side of the portal leading back to Trottingham was heard. There stood Mr. Bartelsby looking extremely worried, trying desperately to get their attention.

"What is it, James?" The Duke asked aloud.

"Sir! It's the Obelisk! It's beginning to crack!" Mr. Bartelsby shouted.

The Duke felt his stomach churn, the memory of Queen Chrysalis attacking the Obelisk came racing back into his mind. It had been damaged far more than it had appeared and the amount of power that it required to stay open this long was beginning to take its toll.

The roar of the Storm high above them seemed to have noticed this as well. Lightning broke across the sky, it's thunderous roar groaned across the kingdom of Naught.

"We haven't much time. Evacuate as many soldier ponies as you can to this portal. Everypony else will have to make for portals closest to them. Once the Storm is free we must be prepared to close them all before it's too late." Princess Celestia stated.

"But what about Smolder?" Spike asked.

Twilight and everypony else was now looking as worried as they did. Knowing what was to come if the portals were to fail.

"You ponies must find Luna and get the Elements of Harmony. It may be our only chance of fighting the Storm if Smolder fails to destroy Null."

* * *

A black flame flashed over the battlefield, Mira reappearing from the fire before dropping out of the air and into the sand. She seemed surprised by the amount of fire she had already used, looking at her arms and noticing her markings were barely a glow. Gritting her teeth, Mira could only assume that the Twins had held out on her, but it was too late to try again.

She still had some of their fire left, what meager amounts of it that she hadn't used and started to make her way towards Null. Mira looked out over the battlefield seeing hundreds of stupid flame ponies to worry about, not to mention the ice ponies and everypony else that had decided to join in.

From the sand beneath her an Echo had dug its way up from the earth and taking hold of Mira's leg. Mira lost her balance, falling backwards to the ground as she tried to pull herself free from the Echo. It's mangled face groaned in hunger, attempting to drag Mira's leg to its mouth. Thousands of small shadow like arms were swirling in the Echoes mouth, clawing towards her leg, wishing to feed on the light within her. With a hard swipe of her hand, a lash of dark energy sliced the Echo's head from from its shoulders and felt its grip loosen.

Mira crawled away from the slain Echo, already feeling exhausted from having used what little of her power she had. The deep gurgle of Kana rumbled across the world, its tentacle swinging wide over its bulbous head and flinging its acidic slime over the fields. Raising her hands over her head, Mira conjured a magical shield of dark energy that intercepted the slime, but was not strong enough to stop it from eating through. Scrambling away, Mira found herself nearly being bowled over by a group of Ice Ponies that had rushed by to flank Kana from the opposite side.

Several more Echoes had sprung from the ground, chasing down the group of Ice Ponies that had raced by, but others had seen Mira's light and shambled towards her instead. Raising her hands up towards the Echoes, Mira's black fire struggled to ignite, leaving her with little power to defend herself.

The first of the Echoes attempted to stab Mira with its long lance of an arm, but was deflected by brittle shield Mira was able to conjure. With a firm jab of her arm a sudden blast of dark energy shot through the Echo, effectively destroying it before it could strike again. The clubbed arm of another Echo swung through its fallen friend, connecting with Mira's head and sending her sailing through the air.

" _You're my friend, Mira. I made you a promise and I plan to keep it._ "

Glow's voice drifted in. Mira felt herself slam hard into the sand, feeling the pain course through her body. She gritted her teeth, gripping the sand, feeling her anger mount.

" _Whatever happened… whatever you blame yourself for… whatever you've done, I forgive you. I forgive you Mira._ "

Smolder's voiced had gotten Mira to open her eyes again. Almost furious at these memories that were being dredged up. Picking her head up she could see the Echoes charging towards her, perhaps they would viciously tear her apart for her light.

"I lied to you… I betrayed you… I used you…" Mira hissed.

Getting to her feet, Mira's eyes burned wildly, turning to meet the Echoes with all of the fury she was feeling.

"But you kept coming back. You wouldn't let slip further into the darkness. Because… because…"

The clubbed armed Echo was just upon Mira, its malformed arm raised high to bash her once again. Clutching her hands into fists, Mira shrieked at the Echoes, sending a powerful shockwave of energy and black flames from her person. It knocked all of the Echoes that stormed her to the ground, burning their bodies within her black fire. Slamming her fists onto the ground the area beneath the Echoes had opened up, causing them to fall into a ravine before being crushed as the earth slammed shut once again.

With her stardust like hair turning a ghostly white once again, her markings having faded away, Mira still gritted her teeth in anger.

"Because…"

Mira's destructive display had caught the attention of more Echoes. One Echo in particular was massive in its size, having appeared to be several Echoes fused into one grotesque creature that stomped its way towards her.

Picking herself up off the ground, Mira stood barely at knee high to this Echo, holding her arms out ready to defend herself against the multilayered Echo and the ravenous horde that followed.

"...because…"

A massive hand made of purple flames flew over Mira's head and took hold of the giant Echo before it could reach her. The fiery hand swelled for a moment before exploding with such force that it obliterated the Echo into millions of smaller pieces. Staggering back in surprise, Mira watched funnels of purple fire worm their way towards other Echoes watching them fruitlessly slash at the flames before being consumed by it and turned to ash.

"Mira!"

The voice that had cried her name cut like a knife deep within her heart. Turning sharply towards the flames, Mira could see another Arcana flying through the fire towards her. Tier emerged from the flames, her purple fire swirling back into the markings of her arms as she dashed through air quickly towards Mira.

Mira got to her feet, losing her footing from the first step and fell forward before trying again and having the same result. Tears were already welling in her eyes as she could only reach out her hands towards Tier.

"Mira!" Tier shouted.

Tier flew past Mira's open arms right into a full hug, clutching her tightly while smothering the side of her face against hers. Mira gripped Tier tightly, quietly wailing as her tears fell freely from her face. Tier was unable to keep her powers from activating, sharing in Mira's feelings and feeling the enormous weight of her sorrow come down on her all at once. Tears had immediately began to fall from her own eyes, almost unable to comprehend the sadness Mira was sharing with her, but there was something quickly overshadowing it. It was the feeling of happiness that seemed to consume Mira now, which almost surpassed Tier's own feelings of joy of having found her friend again.

Tier gently stroked Mira stardust like hair, trying to calm her down. "I thought… you were dead."

"I should be!" Mira wailed.

"Mira!" Tier snapped. "Don't say things like that!"

"Why did you come back? I told you to stay away! You never listened!"

" _Because I'm your friend, Mira."_

Tier's words echoed the ones Glow and Smolder had said to her. The reason they risked their lives for her, the reason they looked passed all her faults. It was a bond forged by a hundred small things, that got stronger with each shared experience, and it was something that connected them. It was like magic.

Mira could not respond to her friend. Her heart broke open, tears ran from her eyes and she sobbed uncontrollably with her face in hers hands. Tier cling to her, whispering every comforting word in both Arcana and pony language to sooth her.

The trembling of hundreds of hooves was felt through the ground, the Jungle Ponies charged passed to meet the Echoes with everypony else. The familiar rattling of Talon's pony skulls slowly approached them, standing guard over Tier and Mira. He smiled softly at the sight of the two Arcana.

"Talon, my friend is very weak. I can share some of my light with her, but it will take time." Tier began.

"Take all the time you need. We shall not let this evil take one step closer to the Heart of the Jungle or her friend." Talon replied.

Mira sobbing had suddenly turned into hoarse laughter as she wiped away her tears.

"What did he call you?" Mira asked.

"It's a-a-a long story, b-b-but it doesn't-" Tier muttered.

"She is the Heart of the Jungle." Talon restated.

Mira laughed out loud, still wiping the tears from her face as Tier flushed furiously.

"Talon!" Tier hissed.

Tier took a hold of Mira's hands, still visibly embarrassed by the title the Jungle ponies had given her. Mira could feel a steady flow of light coming from Tier's fingertips and passing into her. Mira could feel all of the love and happiness she had for the jungle ponies, how much joy she had since having left this place. In turn, Tier could feel all of the sorrow and anger Mira had endured having stayed within the realm.

"I don't think I would have lasted as long as you did if I had been the one that stayed, Mira." Tier mumbled.

"At times, I don't think I could have either, but a… stupid flame pony… kept me going."

Mira looked up at Talon who dutifully stood by, watching over them and keeping an eye out for trouble.

"Kinda like how _your_ pony watches out for you."

Tier flushed a bright purple, gripping Mira's hands tightly from her embarrassment at what she was implying.

"He's not _my_ pony!"

"I'm not a what now?" Talon asked.

"Hush!" Tier demanded.

Mira smiled, noticing her own markings were beginning to glow again, the blue of her hair growing in intensity. With her strength returning, Mira squeezed Tiers hands in gratitude, and leaned her head against hers.

In the words of the Arcana, Mira spoke to Tier, who in turn spoke back. Talon listened to their speech, finding it almost song like between the two of them. While he did not know what each of them were saying, the softness and compassion of their melodic words were enough for him to realize that they were speaking lovingly to one another.

Mira looked up at Talon, smiling mischievously, saying something to him in the language of the Arcana. Before he had a chance to ask what it was she said, Tier covered her mouth in a hurry looking mortified.

"Can I ask what she-"

"No! I forbid you from ever asking about it ever again!" Tier shouted.


	68. Chapter 68: Battle for Naught (Part 4)

"Isn't this the most horrid and depressing place you have ever seen? I have to admit that my first impressions of this place were a bit skewed by all the black magic, but this is no more a stretch then typical chaos. I mean really, a giant squid with acidic slime, malformed creatures made of rock and stone, weather that tries to suck the light from you, it really is a home away from home."

Discord was taking in all the Kingdom of Naught had to offer. The residual energy of immense black magic hung in the air like a mist, clinging to Discord like wet t-shirts in the rain. While the heavy aer of black magic had stopped Discord from using his own powers to attempt to open the portal, having now placed himself inside of it, it was beginning to reveal different effects it had with chaos.

While facing down a rock wall, a pony may try to climb over it or go around it. The pressure of the black magic had prevented Discord from entering in the first place. Now that it was more like wading through water, Discord's powers had become even more dangerous. Black magic and chaos was like fire and gasoline, it could increase Discord's chaos ten or even a hundred fold, but the results would be catastrophic. On a rainy day, Discord could make a summer home here, make it dream getaway for unbridled chaos, but with the possibility of doing more harm than good, Discord kept himself in check.

"Have you located Princess Celestia or the other ponies yet, Discord?" Princess Luna asked.

The pair had remained near the portal, allowing the flame ponies first crack at the Echoes, while Princess Cadance and Shining Armor assisted with the charge. With the Elements of Harmony safely tucked away in a chest beneath her arm, Princess Luna had tasked herself in bringing them to Twilight and her friends as quickly as possible.

A sudden snap of his claws Discord had conjured an immense radio tower with several oversized tape reel computers and a rather large radar dish that spun comically searching for the missing ponies.

Princess Luna looked rather confused, if not concerned, by Discord's overzealous antics. Although, Discord looked marveled if not surprised himself by his own conjurings.

"Well that's certainly a marvelous development, my powers seem to have doubled, if not tripled since stepping into the place. I had intended for something much less of an eyes soar, but it I suppose it will do." Discord stated.

"Please restrain from doing anything more outlandish than what is absolutely necessary. I cannot have to out of control beings to tend with today." Princess Luna warned him.

Discord was already seated with a radio headset, trying to tune into Princess Celestia's whereabouts with a noticeable frequency humming from his radar screen. A large ping rangout, as Discord took Princess Luna around the shoulder and pulled her close to the screen.

"I've got a lock on her! She's almost twenty miles due east. If my readings are correct she is near the Trottingham portal."

Princess Luna's face was close to the screen, watching the small blip ping again and again. "Are Twilight and her friends with her?"

"I can't say for certain, I only placed a tracker on Celestia." Discord replied.

Princess Luna withdrew her face from the screen, giving Discord a rather deadpan look.

"Did you put a tracker on me as well?"

Discord remained stone faced. Tapping his claws together rhythmically, refusing to blink or look away from Princess Luna's cold stare.

"Remain here for the meantime, Discord. You will be our last line of defense of the Storm attempts to enter Equestria."

With a sudden fan of her wings, Princess Luna walked off, still staring down Discord before leaping up into the air to head towards her sister.

"If you see Fluttershy, tell her I kept her animals fed while she was gone!" Discord shouted after her.

* * *

Private Nightshade, Private First Class Cosmic, and Specialist Peanut had been at the forefront of the charge but lost a lot of ground to the sheer speed in which the flame ponies could gallop. Having to veer off from the back due to their slower speeds and the incredible heat that was being generated from the legions of flame pony soldiers, the trio found themselves in the middle of the battlefield without any clue to what they would do next.

"How about the giant squid?" Nightshade suggested.

"You want to go fight the giant squid? And do what? Beg it to not crush us with its massive tentacles?" Cosmic asked sarcastically.

"It was only an idea, it's not like we're being much help just standing around." Nightshade retorted.

"How about helping those guys?" Peanut suggested.

Nightshade and Cosmic saw Peanut's outstretched arm pointing towards a ground of tall creatures draped in robs running from the mangled monsters that everypony else was fighting.

What was left of the Void Walkers, a mere group of nearly thirty, were running from the Echoes that had chased them from the underground tunnels of Naught. Asher was among them, near the back urging his fellow Void Walkers to run faster and harder from the Echoes. Giving the ones that fell behind shoves to force them onward, while pulling at others to keep moving. It was apparent to Asher that their efforts would end in failure, as the Echoes would not stop until they had gotten at least one of them to devour. Which is why Asher slowed his pace before coming to a stop.

" _Malachi_... " Asher whispered.

The Void Walkers get running, a few noticing that Asher had chosen to remain behind, and slowing their own pace to run back for him. Asher's hand was raised to them, signaling them to not come back, that this was his choice to allow his friends the chance to escape. The staggered steps of the Echoes were quickly approaching, the trembling beneath his feet was growing stronger, and the hunger that stemmed from them ran a chill through his body.

" _This is what you would have done for us. So give me the courage to do it on your behalf_."

A swing of the Echoes mace like arm struck Asher in the back and knocked him the ground. Shielding his head from the next blow, Asher waited from the Echoes to tear into him and braced for the pain.

"Sneak attack!"

Nightshade collided with the Echo towering over Asher, breaking through it like a ceramic clay pot, while Cosmic leapt over him to knock down the next one. Despite having called out their plan of attack, Peanut had managed to come up behind the Echoes and suplex one without it even having the chance to react.

The Echoes struck back, wildly swinging their blunted stumps for arms and sharpened forearms at the trio. While many of their attack were unpredictable, their training within the royal guards had trained them to handle rough and rowdy ponies that may have had one too many ciders.

With metal bracers fashioned to their arching wings, they were able to deflect many strikes that would have been lethal if not maiming away from them. Nightshade and Cosmic had always worked best together, ever since their academy days, and it really showed when either them were threatened. Because both of them fought to protect each other and it made for a rather unstoppable tag team.

Peanut on the other hoof had been their liaison during the academy, a sort of mentor to them, it was meant for new recruits to be able to approach members who had been through the basic training and get help or at least have somepony to reach out to. Luckily, Peanut had been only a year older then the two of them and they bonded quickly over an incident that had become infamous within the academy. Nicknamed the 'Princess Shoe Polish' incident.

A forked handed Echo got under Cosmic's guard, the forks just grazing the sides of his neck but forcefully pinning him to the ground. Nightshade had already jumped to Cosmic's defense, leaping atop the Echo and wrenching its head back attempting to pull it off. With its free arm the Echo tried to claw Nightshade from its back while the struggling Cosmic tried to pull the forks from around his throat.

The Echo caught hold of Nightshade's tail, pulling him from his back and tossing him aside. Just seconds later a massive blast of fire impacted the Echo and blew it to pieces. Cosmic shielded his face from the falling debris, its forked arm still pinning him to the ground.

"Need a hoof?"

Cosmic uncovered his face, seeing Goldie standing over him, the flames of her flash step having just fizzled away. With his face flushing, Cosmic attempted to act natural, placing his arms beneath his head to appear unnerved by his predicament.

"I was just… uh… waiting to make my move." Cosmic replied.

"Okay." Goldie replied.

Goldie stepped around him, buying into his cool colt attitude, which made Cosmic double back on his provato.

"W-Wait! I'm… stuck."

Cosmic looked rather dejected having to admit to his special somepony that he was stuck, but it would have been more embarrassing for him to try and fail in front of her. With a quick swipe of her hoof the forked arm crumbled around Cosmic. Slowly getting up, Cosmic patted the dust off his person before glancing at Goldie in a rather shameful expression.

Goldie smiled at him. Lifting her hoof to her lips she kissed the palm of it before blowing to towards Cosmic. A small breath of hot air flushed across Cosmic's cheek. His face turned red as he held his hoof to his cheek looking longingly at her. A sudden pile of rock and debris showered near the two of them before realizing that Peanut and Cosmic had been left to fight the remaining Echoes.

Lifting a Echo over his head, as if he had just won some sort of title belt, Peanut slammed it on the ground with such force that it exploded into pieces of rock and sand. Visibly tired from the constant barrage of Echoes, Peanut retreated near Nightshade who was looking a bit worn out himself. A line of fire sprinted past several Echoes, each being struck in a flash leaving hoof sized fiery holes with torsos and abdomens. Some Echoes collapsed from the damage, while others staggered in place before taking a knee, but the ones were still standing got another round from the fiery line.

Gleam dropped out of her flash step near Peanut's side, having dispatched what was left that Echoes intruding upon them. Nightshade whistled aloud at the display of speed and power Gleam had behind her secretary like demeanor.

"Are you alright, Charles?" Gleam asked.

Peanut simply gazed at Gleam, a smile strewn about his face he sighed longingly at her. Gleam bumped his armor chest plate with her bracer, telling him to cool it as her mane flared and sparked from embarrassment.

"Down, boy." Gleam mumbled.

Cosmic and Goldie grouped up with them, but found Nightshade chuckling under his breath at first glance at them. Cosmic found this quite strange, if not embarrassing, and decided to find out why.

"What are you laughing about, chuckles?"

"That thing almost turned you into a kabob." Nightshade replied.

"And me being almost run through makes you laugh?"

"Kabob Cosmic. Ka-Bob." Nightshade chuckled.

Peanut perked up, getting the joke Nightshade was trying to make. Smiling wide and snickering to himself. Gleam had also found this funny, but no more so than Goldie who did her best to hide it from him. Cosmic flushed again, feeling that a horrible nickname had just been born.

"No, don't you put that evil on me, Shades. I will not have any pony calling me Kabob! Not now not ever!"

Asher looked on at the group of ponies, having been spared his life once again, and finding himself unable to reconcile that fact right away. He felt the arms of the other Void Walkers lifting him from the ground, they hadn't run away as he had wanted them to, but returned to help him against the Echoes. Luckily for them, these ponies had intervened first. With Cosmic having everypony swear never to spread the nickname of kabob, his eyes fell to the group of Void Walkers they had come to help.

"Is everypony alright?" Cosmic asked aloud.

" _Why did you help us_?"

Nightshade looked rather confused by their question and replied with one of his own. "Because… you were in trouble?"

It seemed to astonish many of the Void Walkers. No pony knew what the Void Walkers had been through, but to them the selflessness of the ponies did not stop at Rarity or Pinkie Pie. It amazed them that this concept would span across many if not all ponies here. It was new to them to find creatures so willing to help, but it amazed them that they would risk their lives for them.

" _Are you not here to save the Lords of Light?_ " Asher asked.

Nightshade leaned in near Cosmic to whisper. "Lord of Light?"

"Maybe he's talking about Smolder." Cosmic whispered.

"We're here to save any and everypony we can." Peanut responded. "Smolder is our friend, but we won't just ignore those in need of help."

"Yeah, what Peanut said." Cosmic agreed.

The Void Walkers bowed low to them, a sign of their gratitude for their help. Nightshade couldn't help but feel reminiscent of how Smolder had felt having been saved as well. It seemed that these creatures were not used to being shown any sort of kindness and receiving any seemed foreign to them.

"You lot should head towards the portal, we've got some ponies there that will keep you safe until this is over." Goldie instructed them.

A sudden flash of fire lit up the sky for a moment, icy winds rushed past them seconds later. Smolder and Sapphire were making their way through the mass of Echoes, leading the charge towards Null. Nightshade, Cosmic, and Peanut could see the small flame of their friend in the distance, it brought some much needed relief to see that Smolder was still alive, but it seemed that Smolder was not planning on leaving any time soon.

"If we're going to reach the King, we'll need to join up with the rest of the flame pony soldiers and help push the line." Gleam stated.

"We'll stick to the outside, so that you three won't get caught in the crossfire." Goldie added.

Cosmic cracked his neck, preparing himself for the coming battle. "Time to earn us a knighthood."

"And some much needed vacation hours." Peanut pointed out.

* * *

Princess Luna soared across the darkened skies, observing the battle raging below. Her attention was mostly upon the giant squid, having been challenged by Lord Tundra and Lady Frost, being forced back into the hole it had crawled out of. With the aid of their Ice Pony Soldiers, they kept the squid moderately frozen, slowing its movements while Lord Tundra and Lady Frost focused on the tentacles.

Lady Cadance had joined the fray, conjuring large piece of rock that had been struck from the mountain side and having them moved high over the squid's head to smash it back into its hole. Shining Armor was commanding a legion of flame pony soldiers to combat the Echoes attempting to interfere with efforts to nullify the squid. General Horizon and Leader Fizzle dealt with the bulk of the Echo forces with the help of the jungle ponies and the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers.

A horn had rung out across the fields, one that seemed to be of warning, which had many of the Fusiliers beginning to retreat from the fight. Princess Luna could see the portal to Trottingham in the distance, and her fears were put to rest as the multicolored mane of her sister was visible near its entrance.

Her approach was met with cheers, just barely touching down she was already beset by her sister Celestia, embracing her tightly. She returned the affection ten fold, feeling relieved that her sister was unharmed.

"I'm so glad to see you unharmed and in good spirits, sister." Luna remarked.

"Luna, I am so proud of you." Princess Celestia began. "The Duke has told me of your efforts at the Summit, having risen to the task and making this all come together."

Princess Luna flushed, her smile wide from her praise.

"It is was a little unnerving knowing that I had to convince several ponies that this venture to save you all was worth all the risks that came with it. Not to mention having to handle the day to day workload of Canterlot . Although, the cookie compartment within the throne was a wonderful touch."

"You found… my secret cookie compartment?" Celestia asked slowly.

"It was hardly secret, sister. The throne practically smells of a bakery."

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes, becoming almost menacing. "How many did you eat?"

Princess Luna knew better then to tell her that the royal throne would need to be restocked, but more importantly she knew of the reprisal she would face if she let slip the last slice of cake she had eaten the night previously that Celestia had saved days prior.

"I-I brought the Elements of Harmony."

Twilight and the other hurried over to Princess Luna, watching her open the chest to them and revealing the trinkets within.

"Now we're talking." Rainbow Dash remarked.

The horn rang out once again, several battalions of Fusiliers had returned, forming up near the portal and waiting for further instruction.

"Are we retreating already?" Princess Luna asked.

"It May be out of our hooves at this point." The Duke said aloud.

Lord Nox and the Duke approaches Princess Luna and Princess Celestia looking rather grim.

"Queen Chrysalis did a lot more damage than we thought. The Obelisk isn't going to hold for much longer, and there is no telling what's going to happen when it does. What we do know is that the Storm is going to break free." The Duke explained.

"Which is why we want to minimize the number of ponies trying to get through the remaining portals if it does shut down before we can destroy the Storm." Lord Nox added.

"We need to find Smolder." Princess Luna stayed.

"He'll be wherever Null is." Princess Celestia replied.

Twilight and everypony else had their Elements ready to go. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia flared their wings ready to escort them into battle and help Smolder defeat Null once and for all.

* * *

I was flipping over backwards in the air. It was a bit of showing off and bit of dodging the rock spears that the Echoes were throwing my way. Letting myself fall back towards the ground sparked my flash step and with my wings fanning wide I soared across the fields just inches off the ground. My flames slicing through Echoes while careful shots of fire broke up clustered enemies giving Sapphire room to work.

We traded being on point. Sapphire led the charge, but would need time to recover from her push, so that's where I had come in. Once I had pushed the line again, Sapphire would take over and clear a path for us to charge on through. We were clearing a lot of ground, leaping from one massive and crowded area to the next, trying to get to Null as quickly as possible. Each section we fought side by side, working together to decimate our foes, but it soon seemed like we were trying to impress one another.

I wouldn't say that I wasn't trying to look cool in front of her. I was simply trying to show off some of the magic I had learned during my time with Mira. One particular spell being that of my fire shield, to which I had improved upon my increasing the size of the dome to push and incinerate any caught within it.

Sapphire on the other hoof had taken a more physical approach, coating her wings in her trademark razor sharp ice, and mowed down dozens of Echoes with complicated strikes. At one point she had done a flip over me. Her face, just centimeters from mine, winked at me as if to impress me. Granted the control she had, the skill she displayed, and the elegance she showed was breathtaking to say the least, but all I could think about was how beautiful she looked doing it.

Together we found ourselves side by side, surrounded by Echoes again, scrambling to tear us limb from limb. We held our own quite well, stepping in small circles around each other to defend our blindsides and maintain a forward position.

"We're close now, Smolder. I can handle these Echoes while you catch up with Null. I won't be more than a few minutes behind you." Sapphire said.

"If you think I'm leaving you here by yourself…" I began.

"If he escapes then this horror will never end. Finish him, Smolder, so we can go home."

With a final blast of my fire, I looked towards Sapphire who looked serious about what she had said. It was another moment where I couldn't be Sapphire's friend, but a King that had a job to do.

I raised my hoof to her with a smile. Sapphire knocked it against mine. A show of trust between us that we would see each other again. Leaping into the air I flew up and over the Echoes who were distracted by my light, giving Sapphire a huge opening to blast them with magic.

Null glanced over his shoulder watching the flames of Smolder grow closer. Struggling to keep himself from falling forward, clutching his chest in pain, feeling his husk like hide fall away without returning. Reaching the edge of the abyss, Null swayed at brink, unable to toss himself from the side into the darkness below. Staring down into the abyss, Null felt fear again at the prospect of throwing himself into darkness once again.

Withdrawing my wings I touched down on the earth and dropped out of my flash step to find Null waiting at the edge of the abyss. The yellow of his eyes peering through his damaged helm. They were full of hatred and anger for me, but I could also see his fear.

" _Lord of light…"_ Null muttered. "... you have denied me my destiny."

I could feel my fire begin to mount, every part of me wanted to burn this creature from existence, to make it pay for everything it's done, but knew what _needed_ to be done. Taking a step forward, I could already see Null dragging his foot to the edge of the abyss, ready to throw himself from the cliff side.

"Null," I began. "I just want to talk."


	69. Chapter 69: The End of Naught

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna charged the fields of Ouroboros with Twilight and company in tow. Overhead the skies cracked with thunder and lightning from the Storm's struggle to break free of the Obelisk's dark magic. Retreating from the battlefield were a number of Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers, having been instructed to return to the portal lest they be caught off from Trottingham and take their chances reaching one of the other portals.

Lord Tundra and Lady Frost had taken to the air, high above the giant squid, magic brimming from their horns while conjuring a spell that took the two to preform. A mass of ice nearly the size of a small mountain was quickly forming within the air, an iceberg wide enough and thick enough to cork the hole the creature Kana had made. Together, Lord Tundra and Lady Frost whipped their heads around, releasing their magical hold upon the floating mass of ice watching it drop to the world below.

Kana gurgled and spat at the iceberg falling towards it, doing little to impede its drop. With an earth shattering slam the iceberg struck Kana down into the hole, severing tentacles here and there, cold winds and ice showered the surrounding ponies. The mass of ice held together in part, breaking in pieces from the impact, but forced itself down into the hole before acting like a cork and sealing Kana away. There were many cheers of from the soldier ponies below, having bested this giant creature, and turned their sights on the Echoes that were already losing ground to the other armies.

Lord Tundra and Lady Frost hovered high up over the fields, scanning the area for their Sapphire. Their eyes fell to the sight of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna leading a charge with the wielders of the Elements of Harmony just steps behind them. Looking off towards the direction in which they were heading, they could see a familiar blue light fighting near the edge of the world with a small fiery glow just beyond her. Without discussing their intentions, Lord Tundra and Lady Frost raced off towards the edge of the world to reclaim their lost daughter and help put an end to the darkness once and for all.

* * *

Null had seen the end of Kana, the countless legions of Echoes being decimated by flashes of fire, ice, and magic off in the distance. The Storm swirling high over the fields, roaring in its imprisonment, Null knew that it would not come to its aid this time. Yet, this little flame pony, this lord of light, who swore to save this world, that had fought him with all of his might had come to talk.

" _You have taken everything from me…_ "

"Null, I-"

" _Do you know what it's like to have everything taken from you?"_

"I do. I really do. If you would only-"

I had begun to speak, but Null's hand quickly raised to me, warning not to come closer. His back foot barely on the edge, seemingly ready to fall into the abyss to get away from me. Flecks of his husk like body were falling away, the light within his eyes were dimming with each breath. I took a breath of my own, hoping it was going to be the one I needed to save him.

"It's almost unbearable, isn't it? That feeling of being all alone. Wondering why we're even around to begin with."

Null's posture faltered, eyes widening in part to my words. His thoughts drifted back to the time of his exile, lost within the shroud of the Valley of Shadows. Wandering aimlessly, alone and afraid, but most importantly angry.

" _What do you know it?" Null spat._

"I… I wasn't…"

I found it hard to say, but I knew it to be the truth.

"I wasn't planned. I was a mistake. It ruined… I ruined everything. Because of me, we lost my father, my mother, or kingdom… we lost who we were."

"The Arcana call you nothing, the Void Walkers believe you a mistake, an abomination not worthy of life, they blame you for the death of their beloved Azimuth."

Nadir's words had come echoing back into his mind, the first time he had come across this Storm within the Valley of Shadows.

Several yards back, Sapphire dispatched the last of the Echoes she had promised to deal with and was hurrying to meet up with Smolder again. Coming just over the ridge, she found both of them in some sort of stalemate with one another.

Null was perched upon the ledge with Smolder making no move to attack him. The groan of the Storm had Sapphire turning towards the portals. A bolt of dark energy sprang from the Trottingham Obelisks, having heard of Rarity's and Pinkie Pie's encounter with Queen Chrysalis Sapphire was beginning to fear the worst of what it would bring. For a large scale of commotion was taking place near the portal to Trottingham, it appeared to be wavering and the Storm roared in its anticipation of being set free. Fearing the reprisal of the Storm, Sapphire knew that their window to destroy Null was closing fast.

"Smolder! What are you waiting for? Finish him, now!" Princess Sapphire shouted.

Sapphire's words caught Null by surprise. Causing him to lash out, fearing that my words were meant to distract him. From a swipe of his arm, several twisted husk like spikes flew from his fingertips towards me. Many missed wide, striking the ground behind me, a few grazed my shoulders and another found a glance blow to the side of my head.

I staggered back, feeling a sharp sting of pain, but I didn't retaliate. Sapphire on the other hoof, began to charge, eyes burning blue at the sight of me being harmed.

The stinging pain only added to my conviction, bracing myself hard and trying to not let my anger boil over as I continued to speak with Null.

"Growing up, ponies used to avoid me, my brothers tormented me, and I hated them for it. I hated them. I wanted to hurt them. To make them feel the same pain I had felt. To make them suffer like I did."

It was Sapphire's turn to falter. Having taken several steps towards Smolder after Null's attack to assist him, but found herself surprised by his words. His words were sincere, but full of bitterness and pain. Something Sapphire had only seen when Smolder had been pushed to his limits.

"I can help you take your revenge on them, to give you a purpose that has been taken from you. To share with them the same misery as they have forced you to endure."

Nadir's words echoed again within Null. This lord of light's feeling registered with Null, almost mystified by how similar their lives seemed to be.

Looking down at my hoof, I could see the scars webbing up my arm and how they seared from the fire that raged within me. From my anger these scars had grown, how it resembled my father's shredded appearance of having himself in his fury.

"This anger… it eats away at us. It's like a wound that just won't heal. Feeling pieces of ourselves being torn away by those who make us feel less then we already do."

Null's eyes had fallen from Smolder, looking down at his own husk hand, seeing the remnants of his being slowly peeling away. Pieces of what was left of hand were tearing themselves slowly but surely away from him and disappearing in the darkness.

"But… there was somepony who came to save me from that dark and lonely place. Who offered me everything I had been denied, a chance to be something more, and didn't make me feel quite so alone."

"Together, we can combine our strength and destroy all those that have wronged you. I will give you power beyond imagination, and you will have a destiny only true King's can dream of."

Looking up from his husk hand, Null found Smolder standing only a few steps away. A cut on his brow where his spikes had caught him. The sheen of blood from the new wound began to trickle down his face, but he wore a smile for him all the same.

"I was at my lowest point, a place where even my light couldn't reach me, but _he_ found a way to guide me back. And I'll never be able to thank him for saving me. So I made a promise, to do my best to save anypony else that may need it like I did."

Mira, Tier and Chieftain Talon were racing to reach Smolder, having seen so many others having the same idea, but they were much closer than the rest. With the help of Tier, Mira had recovered much of her strength, but it was far from being at her best. The two rode atop of Chieftain Talon who charged ahead with his Jungle ponies just minutes behind, willing to face this dark lord face to face.

Reaching part of the ridge, Tier, Mira, and Chieftain Talon could see Smolder and Null standing face to face with one another. Princess Sapphire was not too far off, holding her position, and looking rather shocked by this outcome as well.

Ponies were scrambling to get through the portal to Trottingham. The Duke and Lord Nox had refused to leave, chasing after Twilight and everypony else to see this through to the end. The cracks within the Obelisk had spread too far, the power contained within had finally broken through and shattered the Obelisk to pieces. The portal to Trottingham wavered and rippled from the sudden loss of its conductors. Just like before the images of Trottingham from the portal had frozen, the portal itself burned away, having closed abruptly and breaking the relay of the three other portals.

Without one of the portals, the Storm had freed itself from its circular prison and immediately streaked across the skies in a violent roar of anger and fury as it headed for Null. Princess Celestia's head shot up towards the skies, seeing the Storm race across the sky with such blinding speed that she feared they would not make it.

"I know what happened to you was unfair. You must have been frightened beyond all belief. You were alone with no pony to turn to and being told you were nothing. I know what that's like, I really do."

Memories of the Arcana and the Void Walkers shouting at him, calling him nothing, bestowing the name of Null to him to cement that fact. Null looked towards the skies, hearing the Storm's call as it raced towards them. Just upon the ridge Null's eyes fell to the familiar light of an Arcana. His eyes met with Mira's, her face full of fear and surprise at his gaze, a part of him ached from seeing her and another felt a great sadness wash over.

"But there was somepony there for you, wasn't there? A little Arcana that defended you, that stood up for you… a little Arcana that you couldn't destroy. Because deep down you're not the monster you believe yourself to be."

Gripping his hands tightly into fists, Null could remember Mira's smile, and her desperate plea to spare his life. It was the first smile he had ever seen. The first time anyone or anything had shown him such a kindness and the Arcana had asked nothing in return of him. The Storm had promised him revenge, power, and for a great many things in return. It had asked for a host, to feed, to become the vessel of its rage, and it always took even when there was nothing left to give.

Null looked down to me again. I could see within his eyes that his anger had wavered, replaced with guilt and fear. The Storm no longer influencing his thoughts, providing him with its rage, all that was left was a broken soul unsure of what to do next.

I took a deep breath, lifting my hoof to Null as I smiled wide for him. Smiling the way Wingston had when I had read my first book, the way Tea had done when I opened up to her, the way Twilight and her friends had when they promised to help save our kingdom, and the way my mother had smiled when she said goodbye.

" _Why… are you smiling_?" Null asked.

"Sometimes pain can be on the inside, most ponies can't see it unless they've been through it too. You're in a lot of pain, but I made a promise to save all those who needed help like I once did. And they all saved me with a smile."

Null's arm flinched. The yellow of his eyes widening, raising his hand slowly to me.

"Smolder!"

Sapphire's voice was drowned out by the sudden boom of the Storm crashing down around us. The Storm enveloped us, burning against my flames, but enduring it to keep us apart. The ancient voice within the Storm roared in protest, bolts of dark energy broke around us, and the hurricane like winds were pulling us apart.

Within the howling winds of the Storm, Nadir's ancient voice was roaring at Null. It's dark words trembled the world around us, its dark energy surrounding Null and flowing through his husk like body with great force. I could not make out what Nadir was saying to him. I was struggling to keep myself from being blown away by the intensity of the Storm's raging winds, but I could see that Null had yet to move again. He was almost frozen in place by the idea of being given a second chance.

He was slowly being shrouded within the Storm, being consumed again, and being dragged off the edge of the abyss. I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain my fire for much longer, it was enough to shield me from the onslaught of the Storm, but if I raised it any further I could risk harming Null. Reaching out my arm as far as I could I fought against the fury of the Storm trying to reach him.

Null lifted his hand to me. I could see the faint glow of his yellow eyes staring back at me almost daring himself to take hold. He was hesitating to grab my hoof. Stretching just a bit further, I was nearly at his fingertips, still fighting against the Storm that tried to drive me back. Bolts of dark energy struck me, causing me to waver, trying to get me to back down, but I strained to keep my hoof out to him. From the strain of flaring my fire, the intensity in which I had braced myself against the Storm, I was able to muster a word to him.

"Please..."

Null's yellow eyes widened. I felt Null's palm slide across my hoof, taking a firm hold of it. The Storm shrieked in agony. Nadir's ancient voice roaring in pain. Null's hand had caught fire from my flames, quickly climbing up his arm and flaring across his body, causing the Storm to spew from him like a faucet.

The Storm's high pitched screech had reached it denouement before being forcefully expelled from Null in a violent explosion. Null collided with me from the force, his body still ablaze from my fire, but I shielded him from the Storm as best I could. All the Echoes across the fields shriveled on the spot, twisting towards the sky before falling back into the heaps of sand that they spawned from.

The Storm swirled back over the edge of the abyss, shrieking and imploding, trying to reach for us but its ferocity was fading away. Like rain the Storm fell apart, falling down into the darkness with the last arcs of dark energy shooting up over the ridge, it echoing groan of pain reaching across the lands before being silenced.

Lifting my head I peered over the ledge, seeing naught but darkness. There was no rumble, no thunder, no energy of evil to be felt anymore. I was breathing sharply, having felt much of fire being pulled from me and into Null.

Looking back towards Null, I watched as that same fire consume him, slowly being absorbed into his being. The flames eventually died away, revealing what the Storm had truly taken from Null. Much like the Eternal Master Azimuth, Null's body had become smooth, flawless, although it appeared translucent with a whole other universe swirling within him. His tattered robes still gleamed like silver glass while the crude metal helm was nearly smashed to bits.

I reached for Null's helm, pulling what was left from his face, seeing something so very surprising beneath. He had blue stardust like hair, his face was young, taught, yet looked a bit mischievous like that of the Arcana, but was as tall as the Void Wallers. He appeared to be a mix of both species, although his light was that of an Eternal Master and a little flame pony fire now. Perhaps it was the intention of Nadir to combine the three beings within the realm into one creature he could control, but when Nadir was struck down his creation had been left without purpose and it seemed like no pony was willing to accept him at the time.

Null lay unconscious upon the ground, looking almost peaceful as I sat beside him tossing the remains of the helm away. The world had grown quiet, the fighting had stopped, there was an eerie calmness that settled over the fields that had not been felt in countless years. I smiled wide, feeling a swell of pride in myself, hearing Wingston's words in the forefront of my thoughts.

" _The power to reach a pony._ "

"Smolder!"

I looked up only to see the wisps of her cloudy mane trail past me, feeling the sudden force of Sapphire's hug impact me with no reserve. Her arms held me tightly, she wasn't muttering how angry she was with me or how upset she may have been, but she held me as if I had needed this hug all my life. In truth, I felt like I did.

I hugged her back. Knowing that I kept putting her through so much, denying her the chance to simply take me home, and keep her own promise to me and the others. I would have never have gotten this far if not for her and everypony else coming to help me save this place.

Hoof steps were heard walking across the sand, Sapphire and I both looked round to see a rather tall and hardened pony carrying both Mira and another Arcana I had yet to see before.

"Greetings, Fire King, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Chieftain Talon of the Jungle Ponies." Talon introduced himself. "We've come to save you."

Sapphire and I got to our hooves, quickly bowing our heads to this Chieftain who graciously bowed his head back to us. Lifting my head back up I saw Mira floating before me, looking at me as if she was seeing me for the very first time. Almost mystified by what had occured.

"Hey, Mi-"

I felt Mira's hands take hold of the sides of my face and I was sure that I was going to get one hell of a slap or something much worse. Except, Mira had leaned her head in, feeling her gently kiss the top of my head just beneath my horn before resting her own head against mine.

" _Thank you… Smolder._ " Mira whispered to me.

I found myself flushing. Having been kissed three times in one day was rather new to me, but I smiled wide knowing that I had kept my promise to Mira.

Tier had floated down to Null, gently placing her hand upon his head, a sudden swell of light shot up her arm and flared her tattoos with a silver light. Mira turned to see that Tier was smiling and weeping quietly, but looking very happy all the same.

"He's… glad. He's glad it's over." Tier mumbled.

Mira floated down to Tier to console her while I looked towards Sapphire expecting her to be just as happy to hear the news. Surprisingly, Sapphire seemed to be a in bit of a huff looking rather cross with me. I seemed at a loss for what she was mad about this time, but quickly realized it might have been the affection Mira had shown me.

Chieftain Talon looked at the two of us, sensing the sudden tension. "I had no idea that the two of you were each others special some pony."

"Well- I- we- sort of- don't…"

"Hardly." Sapphire said coldly.

With a flick of her mane Sapphire walked off in a huff, looking rather annoyed with me. I swallowed hard wondering how I was going to make this better as Chieftain Talon gave off a low but long whistle at my predicament.

"You done bucked up, Fire King."

I narrowed my eyes at him, not believing for a second that this was in anyway my fault, but I knew that it wouldn't matter. Noticing that Sapphire had stopped short, my attention was drawn back towards the ridge where all manner of pony were standing there looking down at us. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Lord Tundra, Lady Frost, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, Wick and Pyre, Flare, Ray, Cosmic, Peanut, Nightshade, Goldie, Gleam, and dozens of soldier ponies from several kingdoms stood at the ridge beaming at me.

"Hey." I said to them all.

The horn of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers cut through the air, almost immediately after a sudden swell of cheers erupted from every pony that shook the air. I couldn't help but smile at how many ponies had come to help us.

Princess Celestia was the first to float down to me, she bowed her head to Chieftain Talon who in turn bowed to her as well. Talon stepped aside as Princess Celestia stood before me, looking down at me like she had done when we had first met back in Ponyville, but this time she had a smile upon her face.

"You… have no _idea_ how much trouble you're in." Princess Celestia said.

I swallowed hard, trying my best not to smile in front of her, but I was much too happy to see her and everypony else. A sudden flash of her magic had made a familiar cloak appear from out of thin air. It fell over me like a blanket, her magic fixing it to my head as I found myself wearing my cloak that I had worn for my coronation. I found it rather odd for her to have brought it all the way here but the sudden hug I got from Princess Celestia had cleared up my confusion. She held me tight, much like my mother had done, I felt embarrassed to be held like this in front of everypony, but I could not deny how amazing it felt.

"I'd like to get in on that." Princess Cadance remarked.

"Get in line." Spike said racing passed her.

Suddenly my friends had all seemed to want a turn at hugging me. Princess Celestia stepped aside as I started to back peddle away trying to think of something to say that would convince them to take it easy on me. I couldn't think of anything to say as Spike jumped at my leg, Cosmic took my other arm, Candance my shoulder, and a flurry of other ponies piling on to show how much they had missed me.

Princess Celestia stepped back watching the huddle ponies attempt to dogpile Smolder. Over her shoulder she could see Lord Tundra and Lady Frost fussing over Sapphire, who didn't seem to mind in the slightest, having been through so much it felt good to have her family to by her side once again. Summer had flung her arms around Sapphire, nearly toppling her over, demanding that she be no more than three feet from her at any given time lest she disappear again. This had Princess Celestia looking towards the Twins who had remained near the ridge watching their little brother be swarmed by his friends. With a flap of her wings, Princess Celestia floated up over the ridge and landed near them looking at them sympathetically.

"You don't want to join in?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Every pony has sacrificed a lot to help save our brother, we can wait a bit longer to say the things we would like to tell him." Pyre replied.

"Also it's not really a good idea for flame ponies to be joining in on a dogpile." Wick added.

Princess Celestia smirked. She could see that the Twins were rather happy, if not relieved at this outcome, having their brother out of harm's way and seeing how many other ponies cared for him. It really spoke to them about how much Smolder has done to fix what their father had tried so hard to destroy and it put them at ease to the years that would come from Smolder's tenure as King.

* * *

Together I walked with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight, and Sapphire. Everypony else followed close behind while we made our way back to the Ashen Fields portal. Tier and Mira were now carrying Null back to the portal, where all the Void Walkers would be waiting to see an old yet familiar face.

Halfway across the fields the Duke and Lord Nox had met us halfway, apparently having some rather choice words with me, many of which were scolding, disappointment, and the nerve I had. Near the end of his lecture though, he actually smiled and put his arm around me.

"You're a piece of work, kid. You're as stubborn as an old mule, but you got a lot of heart. I'm… proud of you, kid." The Duke said.

"I thought we agreed that it was two months of scolding before showing any praise?" Princess Luna questioned.

"Kids going to be getting an earful from a lot of other Lord and Ladies, but… the kid's been through enough already. He needs to know how proud _we_ are of him."

"I have to say, Lord Smolder, I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but you faced your enemy with your head held high and you never backed down. You didn't choose to fight, but sought other means to end this conflict peacefully. That, my Lord, is what true king's are made of." Lord Nox said.

"It's just Smolder." I said.

"Just watch out for the old bat, he's the one you're going to have to answer to." The Duke warned. "He's with Discord and the Void Walkers at the Ashen Field's portal. It was the safest place for him to be while we sorted out this mess."

"Wingston…" I mumbled.

It had been so long since I had seen him, since I had heard his voice. I had left him when he was still unconscious from the Orc's attack and yet I felt that he had been with me this entire time. I smiled wide knowing that I was about to see my friends again, to tell him that I had been able to end things the way he had taught me.

"SMOLDER."

I felt my blood run cold. Everypony froze in an instant. We dare not turn back, we all knew what had spoken. What it was that called me name. Still I turned to look back over my shoulder to see where the voice had come from.

Beyond the edge of the Kingdom of Naught a storm of shadows was brewing, dark energy flashing across the sky, when a hand suddenly flung itself up out of the abyss and slammed itself upon the world. It dug its fingers in deep, revealing a skeletal hand beneath the shadows as it pulled itself up and out of the abyss. I watched in horror as the head soon followed, a skull flaring with shadows and darkness appeared from the edge. Its size was enormous, eclipsing the Elder Dragon in size, having naught but its torso, and arm, and its freakish head to work with.

"I WILL NOT BE DENIED MY DESTINY!"

Nadir's massive arm reached, clawing into the ground, dragging itself towards us. Shaking the world apart with each deafening slam. Spewing shadows from its mouth like a fire, desperately trying to reach our portal, Nadir had not enough light to fully restore himself, but he knew where he could find more.

"Run!" The Duke hollered.

No pony needed to be told twice, every pony bolted for the portals, running to whichever was closest to them. Instructions were being thrown out to close the portals as soon as every pony had gotten out, to lock Nadir inside, but the amount of ponies that still needed to get out was far too many. I was frozen in place, ponies running past me, watching Nadir claw his way towards us.

 _"You will die protecting this world."_

My heart was racing. I had not changed anything. My fire was right. My mother was right. This was it. The moment was here.

"Luna, Cadance, Lord Tundra, and Lady Frost! We need to by them sometime! Shining Armor you are incharge of getting every pony out safely! Do not wait on us!" Princess Celestia commanded.

"We can fight this thing!" Shining Armor protested.

"Our first priority is the safety of every pony and Equestria! The Elements of Harmony will be our last line of defense if we fail to stop it!" Princess Celestia ordered.

"Smolder, I will need you to- Smolder?"

"Smolder!"

Sapphire's voice cut out like a knife. Princess Celestia whipped around seeing Smolder barreling back across the fields in his flash step to face Nadir alone. The plan had fallen apart almost instantly, Princess Celestia was already running after him, along with Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, dozens of flame ponies had heard Sapphire's cry and turned to see their king going back to fight. Twilight and the others were rushing back with the Elements of Harmony already beginning to glow.

Over on a hilltop, many miles away, near the broken remains of the Trottingham portal was the Mad King. Staring at the small flame racing towards Nadir, the Mad King's flames were flaring, his fury rising for reasons his mind could not comprehend.

"Smolder..."

My hooves struck the ground hard, fear was all that was driving me now, unsure of what I could do, but the fire I felt in my heart was roaring the closer I got to Nadir. I could feel my flames beginning to rage, the heat I was creating was melting the ground around me, the red and yellow of my fire was bleeding into a white fire that began to screech with the sound of a phoenix.

Nadir pulled himself forward to meet my charge, his mouth opening wide to consume me, lunging towards me with all his might. The of voices from the King's of old were suddenly ringing in my ears, their fires raging all around me, feeling this shared power beginning to bleed from every pore of my body, unsure of what was going to happen to me when I released it.

The world seemed to slow down, Nadir's skull nearly upon me, my fire having reached its a brilliant white flame, the screeching of the phoenix had slowly faded from my ears. I felt my heart beating rapidly in my chest, the tremors of my hooves hitting the ground with such force, the incredible heat my flames were giving off, and that's when I felt a hoof touch my shoulder.

" _Wake up, sweetheart._ "

The roar of a hundred passed King's escaped my throat, the shriek of a phoenix raced through my fire, my flames fanned out covering countless miles as it enveloped Nadir completely, holding him back from the sheer fury of my power alone.


	70. Chapter 70: Of The Light

_Princess Celestia strode away from Twilight and the others, excusing herself from the festivities, but turning to speak with the flame pony once more._

 _"What is your name, Flame Pony? I've heard the ponies here call you Ash, Sparky, and even Matchstick. What do you call yourself?" Princess Celestia asked._

 _"Smolder. Smolder of the Ashen Fields."_

 _Princess Celestia eyed the flame colt with curiosity, smirking at his name. A feeling deep down told her that there was more to this young colt than he let on._

 _"The name suits you."_

That was Princess Celestia's first time meeting Smolder. Having since watched his life slowly unfold before her. She could still vividly see the determined yet frightened flame colt that had pleaded for his failing kingdom. Who would then be forced to face his tyrannical father, a vengeful Orc, and a feral Elder Dragon, and maintain the same determined will to do what was necessary to protect those he loved. Now, she could only watch as this flame colt burned in a blaze of white fire trying to stave off the wicked spirit of Nadir.

White fire scorched the earth around them. Flames flaring in all directions, burning the dark clouds away from Nadir's skeleton hand that tried to grasp Smolder through the fire. Slowly Nadir's fingers tightened around Smolder's flames, inching closer to reaching him, fighting against the fiery wrath that kept him at bay.

"I HAVE SPENT YEARS SEARCHING FOR A POWER TO RESTORE ME. FEEDING OFF THE PATHETIC CREATURES OF THIS WORLD TO MAKE WHOLE THIS CRIPPLED FORM. YOU, SMOLDER, WILL BECOME THE HARBINGER! THE NEW VESSEL FOR MY RETURN!"

Powerful winds swept past everypony, with it came the incredible heat from Smolder's flames. The blinding white light of Smolder's fire colored the world around them, showing dozens of planets swirling high up into the darkness while revealing the putrid skeletal form of Nadir through its dark shroud.

Even with the immense heat, every flame pony was inching forward, braving the darkness that threatened their king. Ray was at the front of the herd, her speed had gotten her ahead of everypony else, but even from this far the fires Smolder threw were scolding. A force dark energy pulsed across the world, slamming into Ray and forcing her back a few precious feet, but digging in her hooves hard to keep herself from losing anymore ground.

Her back hooves ended up knocking into another pair, taking a look over her shoulder she found Solar standing behind her. Beside him were Flare and Wisp, trying to push their way forward as well.

"We're right behind you, General." Wisp groaned.

Solar got up alongside Ray, taking his wing and draping it over her back tightly. Lending her his strength, Ray was able to gain ground again with Solar acting as her anchor. With every step the managed to make, Ray could feel the heat becoming more intolerable forcing herself to look away from the sheer heat that blasted her.

Opening her eyes away from the flames, Ray could see several more flame ponies that had come just as far to reach Smolder, many she did not recognize, but saw her grandad powering through with them.

Coal, General Hearth, Warrick, and Summer were standing close together, helping one another to move forward against the flames.

"Smolder!" General Hearth shouted through the flames.

The roaring fires that spewed from Smolder deafened all other noises to him. Echoes of the kings that had come pouring out within the fires, their voices shouting above one another, declarations being said, warnings being given, but the cries of all these kings differed from Smolder's. For theirs had origins of power and pride, while Smolder's were filled with pain and fear.

Princess Celestia had thrown up a power barrier, one that needed her constant concentration to keep the flames from reaching them. Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Princess Luna were being shielded by her, unable to step out at the risk of being incinerated by the fires Smolder produced.

"What's happening to him?" Princess Candance asked.

A great amount of fear was in her voice. It was a cruel thing for them to be so near and yet so far from him. Everypony could plainly see what the other ponies could not, that these fires were slowly tearing their way through Smolder's body.

"I-I-I don't know…" Princess Luna replied.

Luna looked to her sister but found Celestia's eyes wide with fear. It was an expression she rarely wore, one that spoke of helplessness and realization. It was then that Princess Luna knew that they were going to lose Smolder all over again, but there wasn't going to be a chance to save him this time.

Wingston had watched from afar, his friend racing towards the darkness once again to face a foe far beyond his means to defeat. Yet, this display of power, this incredible fire that had emerged from him was something different altogether.

"Discord," Wingston spoke up quickly.

Discord had drawn his attention away from the breathtaking sight to see Wingston staring up at him with a genuine sense of terror about him.

"Please, send me to Princess Celestia and the others."

Discord seemed rather unsure of this. "I'd be sending you to your doom, if Celestia's magic is to fail then you would be-"

"I want to be by his side, even if this is to be the end of everything. I want to be with my friend." Wingston pleaded with him. "Please."

There was little hesitation from Discord this time, a small smile and a nod of understanding before his claws snapped together. Wingston disappeared on the spot and left Discord gazing back at the unbelievable display of fire that lit of this dark world.

For all of Smolder's efforts, Princess Celestia could see that catastrophic toll it placed on him. Every pore of his body expelled one hundred times the amount of fire Smolder normally produced. His cries of agony seemed to be the only way to vocalize what this power was doing to him on the inside out.

"THERE IS NO POWER, NO LIGHT, NO FIRE, THAT CAN DEFEAT ME. YOU'RE JUST A LOST LITTLE PONY, PRETENDING TO BE KING, LOOKING FOR THE DEAD, CLINGING TO FALSE HOPE, AND IN THE END YOU WILL DIE JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER. ALONE AND AFRAID."

"Shut up!"

A brilliant flash of light sparked from Smolder in his angry cry, his fire exploding once again as it forced Nadir's hand back and breaking off a fragments of its fingers. The Kingdom of Naught shook from fron the colliding powers, sending powerful shockwaves across the world.

The Duke looked on, hearing the echoes of all the flame pony kings that had come before roar throughout the land. The rage and the power that poured from Smolder had the Duke remembering the beaten and worn out flame pony prince he had first met at the Summit. His callus words to a grieving kid just hours after nearly losing his only father figure, expecting him to be more of a king, had now come back to haunt him seeing this young colt stand up against this horrid creature. A task suited for a much older colt, one with years of experience, a life lived to its fullest, hardened from years of battles fought and won, but not from a kid.

"What are you doing, kid?" The Duke muttered.

The Twins were battling their way up towards Smolder, fighting against the powerful winds and flames that swept by. The Twins found it difficult to go any further, their own bodies unable to stand the heat Smolder was producing.

" _He should hear it at least once…"_

It was the only thought going through Wick's mind at the moment. His anger of his own stubborn pride had prevented him from telling his own little brother that he cared for him and now it may be too late.

" _You're the best out of all of us, Smolder."_

Pyre was thinking of similar things, of times where cruelty was given to Smolder instead of compassion, where there words were evil and spiteful rather than kind and gentle.

Wick held out his hoof towards his lagging brother, offering him the help he needed to take the next couple of steps. Pyre took hold of his arm, struggling to get up alongside of him when they spotted a rather odd sight. A small orb of magic rested near the epicenter of Smolder's inferno, and the images of ponies were seen from within.

Together the Twins helped each other along, finding Princess Celestia and some of the other royal ponies had managed to shield themselves from the flames. Princess Luna caught sight of the Twins, hurrying to the edge of the shield where they approached. Princess Luna conjured a conjoining sphere at the back where the shield was least affected and merged it into one while bringing the Twins inside.

"Are you two alright?" Shining Armor asked.

The Twins bodies were almost searing red, they were breathing hard trying to regulate their core temperatures back down to a safe level.

"How much further is it to reaching Smolder?" Pyre asked.

"We are unable to reach him." Princess Luna said.

"And neither of you will be able to withstand that heat for more than a couple of minutes." Princess Cadance added.

Wick and Pyre fought to catch their breaths. It was clear that Princess Cadance's words weren't going to stop them from trying.

Before Princess Luna could reinforce their argument a pop was heard as Wingston magically appeared beside Princess Celestia.

"Wingston?" Shining Armor questioned.

Without a word Wingston rushed to the edge of the shield, pressing his torn wing upon the magical sphere, feeling the immense heat even through her magic. It was hard to see Smolder through the mix of fire and black shadows that lashed across the shield, but Wingston knew that his voice would be enough.

"Princess Luna, please allow me the use of your magic so that I may speak with Smolder." Wingston requested.

"Of -of course, but I'm unsure if it will reach him."

Princess Luna placed her hoof upon Wingston's back, her horn sparking with magic, allowing Wingston to speak in the Royal Canterlot voice to reach Smolder over the wrath of his fire.

"Smolder!" Wingston began. "Smolder, listen to me! You have come so far, you have made so many friends, done unimaginable things, and this creature will tear it all away from you if you do not stop it here and now! So I beg of you, please, defeat this evil creature so that we can go home, together."

Flame and shadow swirled against the shield. Eventually, it shifted to where everypony could see Smolder within the flames. Yet, Smolder's response was horrific.

His eyes erupted into flames, his entire body seemed to burn from his own fire, and the scars upon his legs were slowly melting his skin away. Wingston watched his friend cry out in unimaginable pain, realizing the horrible truth that this was going to be end of his friend and that he had just encouraged him to do it.

"THIS IS THE END FOR YOU AND ALL YOUR KIND! I WILL TAKE FROM YOU EVERYTHING."

Fear had taken over him, Wingston beat his wing upon the shield trying in vain to stop this from happening.

"Smolder!" Wingston cried.

Wingston's voice had reached my ears, the thought of losing him again suddenly swept through me. My anger suddenly poured from me, igniting my fires once again, the Phoenix's screech tearing through me. I cried out again, sending a blast of fire that drove Nadir back further, and destroying more fragments of his hand.

The Mad King looked on, watching his son slowly tear himself apart trying to keep the spirit of Nadir at bay. The painful shrieks of his dying son sent a chill throughout his body. His lips were beginning to snarl, his body shaking, fire flaring from every inch of his body.

"... Smolder…" The Mad King whispered.

Images of his infant son writhing within his bassinet flashed across his mind, being mixed with the writhing pain his son was currently in. His wailing shrieks of pain were matched by his infant cries waiting for somepony to comfort him. Scorch was biting down so hard upon his teeth that they were beginning to crack, his whole body shaking from the fury his was feeling, but yet he would not move.

Within his mind the Elder Dragon Char kept a firm hold upon the Mad King, it's claws still wedges deeply within him. Scorch struggled to break free, screaming and shouting obscenities at the dragon to be set loose, but it only laughed.

Scorch wretched his body so hard within the dragon's claws that his arm had become slightly dislodged. In response the dragon tightened its grip, one of the claws digging itself deeper into his chest.

The Mad King stopped his struggling immediately, barely able to breathe, the will of the Elder Dragon had won out in the end. Turning from the scene of this dark lord bearing down upon his son, the Mad King headed towards the unguarded portal.

"JUST GIVE IN TO THE INEVITABLE! YOUR WORLD IS MINE! YOUR FIRE IS MINE! YOU HAVE NO CHANCE! NO CHANCE!"

Nadir's dark energy mounted. Flowing into his arm and restoring the fractured pieces of bone Smolder's fire had blown away. His hand was beginning to suppress Smolder's fire, slowly overtaking him by the second.

I could feel the power of all the kings that had come before, the reassurance each of their flames had brought, but even through all the pain in knew something was missing. I had seen it through the visions my mother had left for me, every king standing tall, reassuring their heir that their power would be there for them whenever needed. Every father being there for their son when he felt unsure of themselves.

I knew none of these ponies. All of their voices spoke to the next that inherited the power of the Phoenix, but there was no voice for me. There was just the horrid taunts and cries of Nadir that reached my ears. I felt fear slipping into my heart, the thought of losing had finally settled into my mind, and I was finally afraid. I felt myself wishing for something I never dreamed of, for something I had always wanted but knew I could never have. To have what every prince had had when they felt scared, when they doubted themselves, when they needed help, and when they felt alone.

"I wish you were here, Dad."

The Mad King stopped short.

A whole new level of pain shot through me, a second wind of this power exploding forth. Nadir's arm wavered, struggling to maintain its outstretched hand towards my flames, being pushed back from the ferocity of my flames.

Dark energy surrounding the spirit of Nadir sparked with bolts of black lightning. It's hand unwavering from its attempt to close in around Smolder's fire. Nadir was able to raise himself, almost kneeling before Smolder, his hand keeping Smolder's fire at bay.

"YOUR LIGHT BELONGS TO ME NOW!"

A storm of dark energy erupted from Nadir's right shoulder. A skeletal arm of Nadir's spirit suddenly sprouted forth in a violent display of dark energy.

"That things got a second arm!" The Duke cried out.

Twilight and the others were too far back to reach Smolder in time with the Elements of Harmony. Lord Tundra had one hoof down, beginning to race towards Smolder, wondering if he could reach him in time. The Twins were begging Princess Celestia to drop the shield to have a chance to save their brother. Even Celestia questioned letting her shield drop, but realizing it would spell certain doom for Wingston and the others.

"GOODBYE YOU FOOLISH FLAME PONY!"

Nadir's free arm struck down upon Smolder with a earth shattering crash.

Princess Celestia focused her magic to keep her shield from breaking. Wingston stared wide eyed at the sight that was before them, which left both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna speechless.

I found myself bracing for the impact, I had heard it strike with overwhelming power, but felt nothing from it. I tried hard to bring forth more of the power of the Phoenix, wondering if my fire had somehow stopped it.

"Listen well monster…"

My eyes shot open, looking up in disbelief. I found my father standing over me, his wings having caught Nadir's arms from crushing me, and struggling to keep him at bay.

"... you will not take him from me!"

Raising his wings, my father's fire mixed with mine drawing strength from my flames as he began to push Nadir's arm away from us. The sheer agony my father's face only hardened him, grinding his teeth as molten fire dropped from his mouth. With an almighty thrust, my father's wings broke Nadir's fingers from its hand, his fire racing up both of Nadir's arms before shattering his bones into hundreds of pieces.

"WHAT!"

Nadir was completely exposed to us. My fire pouring between my father and I, although it seemed as though he was channeling it for me, and keeping it from harming me as it had done before. I was mystified by my father, unable to look away from him, in disbelief at his being here.

"From my father!" Scorch bellowed.

Fire washed from us like water, my father's wings flared wide, our power suddenly surging between us.

"To his father before!"

I raised my wings out just like my father had done, focusing the fire within me as best I could. Feeling the Phoenix's screech come racing back to our ears.

"By the Phoenix of our fire!"

My father's words were powerful, deep, and unyielding. His focus was straight ahead, facing the now crippled Nadir that howled in agony at the loss of his arms. I snapped my attention forward, taking a deep breath knowing what was to come next.

My father's fire swirled with mine, forcing it to behave, keeping it subdued until it was time for it to be unleashed.

"We cast you out!"

The screech of the phoenix was heard once more, my father throwing his wings forward, directing my fire toward Nadir as I screamed along with the kings of old as it engulfed Nadir in an instant. The sheer blast of our fire enveloped Nadir, sheering away his arms, his ribs, everything was being disintegrated piece by piece in a matter of seconds.

Nadir stared at this colt that appeared to be made of pure fire, having come to protect this tiny fire king had suddenly made his realize who it was. Beside both of them was a ghostly image of the flame pony Nadir had consumed years ago, her look of hatred and disgust staring him down as the fires torn him apart.

The fire had all but destroyed Nadir's skull, before the flames began to die away. The Mad King looked towards his son to see him falter before collapsing to the ground from exhaustion.

"I WILL NOT BE DENIED MY DESTINY!"

The Mad King leapt forward to meet this creature just as the rainbow from the Elements of Harmony struck down around them to shield them from Nadir. Nadir's skull collided with the Elements of Harmony, bolts of energy sparking from the two spectrums of light and darkness.

Nadir's magic was beginning to constrict against the magic of the Elements of Harmony. Little by little the cracks with the multicolored sphere were appearing. The Mad King conjured a shield to help brace the Elements of Harmony to keep Nadir from getting through.

Opening its jaw wide, Nadir's floating skull roared causing its magic to increase a hundred fold. Focusing its dark essence like a beam, Nadir was slowly shaving away the shield between them. Loud cracks snapped across the magic of the Elements of Harmony, causing it to waver and fade. The Mad King's efforts to reinforce the shield with his own magic was taking it toll.

Bits of the Mad King's wings were being sheared away by the dark essence of Nadir. Feeding off of his fire, slowly eating away at his wings. Crying out in pain he felt himself being pushed back by Nadir's might.

"EVEN AT THE COST OF YOUR BODY, YOU STILL RESIST THE INEVITABLE. I WILL SHOW YOU THE TRUE POWER OF AN ETERNAL MASTER!"

The dark essence around Nadir swelled, pulsing like a heartbeat before contracting back into a sudden blast of dark energy that completely engulfed the shield protecting them. Chunks of the magic shield had blown off with the Mad King's wings being torn away.

A wail of agony escaped the Mad King, digging his hooves deep in the ground to prevent him from being blasted away. In his struggle to keep himself upright his right, there came a sickening snap as his leg had broken under the strain. The Mad King buckled under his broken leg before spewing bits of molten fire from his lips. Coughing and wheezing from the damage his body had endured up until now, he could feel it already coming undone from the inside out.

The dark essence of Nadir kept every pony at bay, finding it impossible to approach to aid either of them. Many ponies with magic had provided their own shields as buffer from the raging wind storms that Nadir's magic had created, but nearly every pony was doing their best from being blown away by its power.

Lord Tundra and Lady Frost had created their own magical shield to defend the Duke and Lord Nox.

"The Mad King's body is failing him. It won't be long before it crumbles away entirely." The Duke whispered.

Lord Tundra watched Scorch spew molten fire from his lips, the missing legions of his hide revealed the dying flame within him and saw the once powerful flame king brought low. A sudden flash of white fire appeared next to Scorch, Lord Tundra could see Smolder rising to his hooves once again to face Nadir.

"Smolder is all that stands against it now." The Duke mumbled bitterly.

Lord Tundra took a step forward, immediately feeling Martha's hoove take hold of him. Preventing him from doing what he was already planning.

"Charles…"

"Stay here, Martha. I won't let them die like this."

A sudden upheaval of magical discharge swept across the land as Twilight and the others were beginning to lose control over the shield. The rainbow stretching out over the land wavered, becoming unstable in its power.

Princess Celestia and Wingston could only watch as Smolder's fire screeched with the echoing sounds of the Phoenix ready to face Nadir.

"YOU WILL BECOME THE VESSEL OF MY SOUL, FIRE KING! YOUR POWER WILL RESTORE ME TO MY TRUE FORM AND I WILL FULFIL MY DESTINY!"

The magic of the Elements of Harmony had nearly come undone. Nadir's blazing skull inching forward. Opening its jaw wide as its teeth were bearing down upon the shield straining it even further.

Building up the fire within me I knew I was going have to release it all at once if I was going to have any chance of holding Nadir back. Over my shoulder I could feel the fire exploding from my father. I turned to see bits and pieces of his body were being blasted away from the ferocity of his flames and his eyes burning wildly in their sockets.

"I already told you…" The Mad King growled. "You will not take him from me!"

Leaping forward the magic of my father exploded from his horn, effectively shattering it, as he was knocked back to the ground. The power of his spell struck Nadir with such force that it knocked him back as well and I along with it.

Everypony could only watch as the Mad King slowly destroyed himself. With his wings sheared, horn shattered, and body withering away the Mad King struggled to move again. Forcing himself to open his eyes from the pain, he could see Nadir's socketless eyes locked on him.

"YOUR LIGHT HAS NEARLY FADED. YOU ARE MERELY CLINGING TO EMBERS AND ASHES NOW. HOW FOOLISH YOU WERE TO CHALLENGE A GOD!"

Bearing down on his teeth, the Mad King could feel his fire dwindling to a flicker now while being forced to watch Nadir laugh at his diminished state.

Once again the Mad King watched his son step out in front of him, flaring his fire as it started to screech to a white hot flame again. Nadir's focus had fallen to Smolder again.

"My father gave up everything for me… everything… you'll _never_ know what kind of power it takes to do something like that."

Nadir's dark essence wavered in anger. The Mad King could feel the heat of Smolder's flames wash over him as he brought his fire to its peak.

"Even if I was just a mistake."

A overwhelming pain within Scorch's chest forced him to double over, clutching at it with his one good arm. With his eyes shut from the pain, Scorch could feel something growing within him, a presence that he had not felt in many years. Somewhere deep in the recesses of Scorch's mind, Smolder's voice was shouting to him. His infant wails, his frightened pleas, his angry outbursts, but above it all were the ones he could not bear to hear. The words that were not earned, not deserved, words that should never be uttered to a monster that he was.

" _I forgive you."_

 _"_ Smolder…" Scorch whispered.

From the wails of the Phoenix that screeched from my fire I did not hear my father call my name. I could feel the power of the Phoenix smoldering inside me, almost refusing to allow me to destroy myself with its power. Even so, I could feel it's fire beginning to mount as Nadir was preparing for his final assault.

"IT IS TIME, SMOLDER! YOU WILL BECOME THE HARBINGER OF MY-"

Nadir has stopped abruptly, recoiling in what appeared to be from genuine terror. I turned to see my father rising once more.

"Listen well, Smolder, for these will be my final words to you." Scorch began.

His withered body had become no more than a husk. The sockets of his eyes barely held the red glow of his eyes and a small flame within his chest was dangerously close to going out.

"There has been a saying... passed down from father to son… to remind us of what we are. Four words... that strike fear into the hearts of our enemies... and gives hope to those who have none."

From within my father's chest a small white flame had replaced the dwindling red flame, white flames were searing over the missing legions of his hide and were beginning to rejuvenate. A small high pitched screeching of fire could be heard growing louder and louder from within him.

"ENOUGH! THIS ENDS NOW!"

The magic from the Elements of Harmony were straining against the force of Nadir, only seconds from breaking. Fearful of seeing this broken flame pony standing on sheer will alone, Nadir dove towards us. Shattering through the magic of the Elements of Harmony with his jaws wide to consume me.

 _"Scorch…"_

Glow's voice floated in. The small wisp of fire in his chest reacting to her voice. Closing his eyes the Mad King could see the fragmented shards of his mind spin about. The light being refracted from the shards forced the Elder Dragon to release Scorch. It was slowly piecing itself together, walling off the Great Dragon Char on the other side as a white light fused them in place. The Great Dragon Char clawed at the barrier, unable to break through, being sealed away behind this reflective wall as the words of his departed somepony floated in from the darkness.

 _"Light cannot always reach the darkest of places, causing us to become truly lost, but somepony with a light all their own may just come looking for us. Braving the darkness that swallowed us whole, reminding us that no matter how far we fall, that there is always a way to find our way back."_

The finals seams of light fused Scorch's shattered mind in place, revealing a reflection of not himself, but of Smolder staring back at him.

 _"I hope that his little light can reach you. That his name will help you remember where our story began, and where you should be when it ends."_

The reflection of Smolder began to grow, shifting in size and shape, forming into the proud King Scorch once was. Stepping through the pane of his mind, Scorch had found himself at last.

 _"I'll be waiting for you, my love."_

From beneath his black hide his fire reasserted itself, fiery images of his wings exploded from his back as his horn exploded in a lance of fire. Scorch's flames having been tamed for the briefest of moments and once more standing tall as the Mighty King Scorch.

Scorch's red flames ignited into a white light that was marked by the sudden cry of a Phoenix. A cry full of rage leapt from Scorch's throat, charging forward to meet Nadir head on. In passing me my father's arm swept under me, pushing me back and flung himself forward to meet Nadir.

Wick and Pyre had raced out of the protective shield of Princess Celestia's magic towards Smolder having seen Nadir break through the shield. Fearing for their brother's life and coming to his aid only to have had their father knock him towards them with just moments to spare.

Wick and Pyre had just reached Smolder, taking hold of him tightly to protect him as they watched their father leap into the jaws of Nadir. It's jaw slamming down over Scorch before driving themselves deep into the earth. Only steps away from the massive skull of Nadir, the sons of the Mad King watched in horror at the sight of their father having been consumed by this Eternal Master.

Piercing white lights erupted from Nadir's eye sockets, white fire flaming from his teeth, with cracks began to form around his skull. The roar of fire coming from deep within Nadir, feeling the heat of our father's fire burning violently inside.

"Listen to these words well, monster! For they will be the last you ever hear!"

Scorch's voice echoed across the land. White fire was dissolving Nadir's teeth, melting the skull from the inside out, it's horrifying cries of pain were mixed with the roaring flames.

" _I. Am. The._ King _!"_

Scorch's fire expanded violently. The explosion obliterated the skull of Nadir. It's horrid cries were drowned out by by my father's own declaration. The white fire swept across the world, knocking over pony and stone alike, but burned none. It's intensity was so great that it bleached the color to a blinding white light that caused many to divert their eyes from the blast.

Pyre, Wick and I watched our father dissolve away. The fires of the once Mad King burning what was left of his body. Remnants of his face lingered for only a moment, smiling at us.

" _Smolder…_ "

My eyes widen hearing his voice.

" _You were not a mistake."_

I saw my father smile.

 _"Dad!"_

The intensity of the fire dissolved what was left of our father before the blast swept over us and knocked us away.

Ponies were picking themselves up off the the ground, rubbing their eyes from the blinding flash of light. It was unclear what had happened, thousands if not millions of small orbs of light flickered and burned around them. It appeared to be pure starlight that drifted about with a large sun of white fire that swirled far off in the distance. Our father's fire had created a permanent source of light for this world.

Wick and Pyre sat beside me, lightly clutching my arms while looking up at the new star of our father's creation. We watched the blazing sun in silence, coming to terms with having just gotten our father back, only to lose him again. After a time I felt Wick's hoof squeeze my arm tightly as to give me comfort.

"It's unfortunate that you never got know father like we did, Smolder. But, just for a moment, you got to see what he was truly like. Right at the end." Pyre said.

"It may be hard to accept or even believe, but he loved you, Smolder." Wick added. "Just as we do."

I felt Wick and Pyre's hooves touch my shoulders. We stared up at the white swirling star that bathed the realm in light, feeling the familiar warmth of my father's fire reaching us. The Kingdom of Naught has finally been freed from Nadir's cruelty, offering it its first moment of peace, and marked the passing of my father, the Phoenix King.


	71. Chapter 71: Edge Of Tomorrow

Time seemed to stand still for a while. The final acts of the Mad King had left many speechless, no more so than his own sons who watched the new white fiery star burn countless miles away. There was a silence that filled the realm, perhaps in respect for the passing of an age old king, or for the father the sons of Scorch had lost, but there were smiles to be had on nearly everypony. Peace had finally come to the Kingdom of Naught.

My father's final words were ones he had shared with me all his life, a meaning of what it was to call oneself king, but for the first time I understood what it really had meant. Even at the end, he shared just a few more, assuring me that I wasn't a mistake, and I couldn't help feel that I believed him.

A series of thuds was heard, an all to familiar sound to me, and I turned to look over my shoulder to see Wingston limping towards us. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor held back to allot Wingston the time he needed to speak to his son alone.

"Lord Pyre. Lord Wick." Wingston said.

Wingston bowed his head to the two of them. Perhaps for the first time in any pony's memory the Twins returned the sentiment, bowing their own heads to him as well.

Wick and Pyre got to their hooves, giving me one last touch on the shoulder to convey their reassurance that they would still be here for me if needed. They made their way back towards Princess Celestia and the others leaving just Wingston and I alone.

I had not seen Wingston since my visit to his bedside in the infirmary. I had not spoken to him through this whole ordeal, and yet every decision I seemed to have made had been influenced by what he had taught me.

"Hello, Wingston." I said.

Wingston had no words for me, just a hug that wrapped around my shoulders tightly. I returned his hug with one of my own. I noticed that my hooves had become transparent, my fire burning wildly within, the flames dancing as they had before but it resembled much of my father's hooves.

"I thought I was going to lose you, Smolder."

"I promised I'd come home, Dad."

Wingston pulled away from his hug quickly. "Your message said _soon._ "

"Things got complicated." I replied.

I half expected Wingston to hit me with his staff, but was only met with his relieved smile from beneath his hood. His eyes looked from me to the white star my father had created. I turned to look up at it with him, feeling the warmth of it from here.

"I wanted to believe that your father was still in there somewhere, Smolder. I really did, but your mother knew it all too well. I suspect that you were finally able to reach him somehow where we could not."

"He saved me, Wingston. Just like you did. When I need my father the most, they were there for me."

Wingston looked up to see Smolder smiling, seemingly at peace with how things had turned out. Lifting his wing, Wingston placed it on Smolder's arm to comfort him in his thoughts.

"It has been my privilege and honor, my King."

Princess Celestia smiled at the sight of Wingston and Smolder together. After everything that had occurred, all the time and effort spent to achieve this incredible feat, it seemed all worth it with this simple reunion between them.

Lord Tundra and Lady Frost floated down next to Princess Celestia while Lord Nox and the Duke strode up to Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, and Shining Armor.

"Kids got a bright future ahead of him." The Duke stated.

"He certainly doesn't lack the bravery it takes to stare death in the face. Although, I dare say he'll end up doing something like this again if the need ever arises." Lord Nox added.

"Which is why we'll be there for him if it does. To remind him that he's not alone in this and that there those who do care for him." Princess Cadance replied.

"Platonically." The Duke clarified.

Shining Armor chuckled at the Duke's sour expression.

Princess Celestia smiles amusingly at the group. Turning back round, Princess Celestia noticed Lady Frost clinging to Lord Tundra a bit more than usual. The arm Lady Frost was clutching was more than just for affection, but an attempt to hide the burns upon his leg.

Lord Tundra took notice of Princess Celestia's worried expression, but smiled at her reassuringly.

"It's not that bad. I was going to try and help, took a step too far, and realized that I was not needed." Lord Tundra said.

"He also doesn't want little Smolder to know and have him feel guilty about it." Lady Frost added.

"I'm sure Smolder would be appreciative of your attempt to help him, Lord Tundra." Princess Celestia said.

"He doesn't need to know what I did or didn't do. All he needs to now is to know how much his father must have loved him to have endured all of that."

Lady Frost nestled her head against Lord Tundra's, very taken by his own selflessness. Princess Celestia smiled at the thought of it. That cruel, malicious, mad pony had lost to a father's love for his son. Perhaps no pony would ever know what really caused the Mad King to come to Smolder's rescue, but no pony would forget it either.

Twilight and everypony else were last to arrive, looking a bit worn out themselves from their use of the Elements of Harmony.

"Your timing could not have been more perfect, Twilight Sparkle. You and your friends provided Smolder and his father enough time to destroy the creature." Princess Celestia said.

"I'm just glad that this is finally over." Rarity stated.

"We could all use a vacation." Rainbow Dash added.

Spike moved near Princess Celestia looking over at Smolder and Wingston silhouetted against the white star.

"How's Sparky doing?" Spike asked.

"He's dealing with this in his own way, perhaps coming to terms with the idea that his father wasn't so mad after all."

"But what made the Mad King help Smolder? He was always so mean to him." Fluttershy questioned.

Princess Celestia did not have an answer for her, perhaps there would never be one, but maybe Smolder was able to reach his father where none could before.

"Perhaps for the same reason Scorch decided to face the Elder Dragon alone. It was out of love for his son."

"I'd like to think that." Twilight agreed.

* * *

After awhile of silence between us, I noticed Wingston had been observing me for some of the rather blatant changes that had come about during my time here. My horn, of course, was the most obvious but perhaps easiest to accept for him. The scars upon my legs, as well as the lack of hide from my hooves that allowed my fire to burn more freely bothered him a bit. Although he seemed to be more interested in my stomach.

"What have you been eating, Smolder?" Wingston questioned.

"I… really don't know." I admitted.

All of Mira's meals, if that was the appropriate word to call them, had been things that no pony would willing scarf down for even a million bits.

"You're much leaner than you were before. I'd go as far to say muscular." Wingston stated.

"Really?" I asked.

"I guess it's to be expected. You're coming to that age where your body starts going through changes and mares start becoming more attractive."

"Are we really having this talk? Right here? Right now?" I asked.

Wingston smiled up at me, obviously amused by his own teasing. Perhaps a much needed fix that he couldn't get when I wasn't around.

"I'm simply warning you of the troubles you will face now that you are at this age."

"What troubles?" I asked.

I felt a sudden hoof slap come across the back of my head that sent me face first into the dirt. I felt dazed by the blow, but managed to roll over to see Sapphire towering over me.

"What troubles, he says." Wingston chuckled to himself.

Wingston limped away as Sapphire approached me.

"Now Sapphire, let me explain." I began.

I rolled over onto my back trying to push myself away from her, holding my hooves up in front of my face to defend myself from her. Sapphire's hoof presses down hard on my chest, pinning me to the floor, her free hoof striking me repeatedly.

" _You are the most moronic, thick headed, asinine, repugnant, stupid flame pony I've ever had the misfortune of meeting!"_

I knew I had this coming, but I had assumed I wasn't going to make it out of this alive so I wouldn't have to face Sapphire's fury. As much as I deserved every slap that came my way, I could tell Sapphire was holding back, but it was because she was trying hard not to cry. I understood now, more than ever, that it wasn't just my life anymore, I was sharing it with hundreds of other ponies.

I felt Sapphire lift her hoof from my chest, her assault had subsided as I raised my hooves to see if she was getting her second wind. I felt her hoof grab mine, forcefully pulling me up off the ground and into a firm hug.

"Why… why do you try to do everything yourself? Even it means destroying yourself in the process?" Sapphire asked.

"Sapphire I -"

"Why do you have to make me cry every time?"

I didn't have anything to say to her this time. I could feel Sapphire shaking, I had hurt her, in ways I knew there was no possible way to make up for. I put my arms around Sapphire, returning her hug and doing my best to comfort her. Even if I was the reason she was so upset.

"I guess... I really am a stupid flame pony."

Shifting sands from nearby got my attention. Lord Tundra and Lady Frost had come to perhaps collect Sapphire, but the intense gaze coming from Sapphire's father had me letting go of her quickly.

"It's time for us to go, Snowflake. And that goes double for you, Smolder dear." Lady Frost said.

"Right." I replied.

Lord Tundra's gaze did not leave me. I could feel his eyes burning a hole into the back of my head as I tried to walk away casually trying to seem indifferent about it. I only gone a couple of feet when I found myself facing a group of Void Walkers. Their heads were bowed to us, looking very ragged in their torn robes, but immensely grateful nonetheless.

"Hey." I said.

"Lord of Light… Null wishes to speak with you." Asher stated.

"To me?" I asked.

The Void Walkers had told me that Null had returned to what remained of the Castle of Naught. Having come to, Null, left to be alone for a time, to reflect on what had happened, to understand what his place in all this was, but before leaving told the Void Walkers he wished to speak with the one who had saved him. Alone.

Abiding be his request, I left Wingston with Princess Celestia and the others to speak with him. I crossed the fields of Ouroboros, passing hundreds if not thousands of small orbs of light the drifted passed me. My passing caused them to dance silently through the air, swirling around me before drifting away.

The remains of Castle Naught hardly held the shape of a structure anymore. Just ruins of a once immense keep that now lay in heaps of rubble upon the ridge. Upon reaching the outer areas of the castle I stepped across the fallen blocks and stone of the castle's remains to see a rather familiar sight.

Null stood at the edge of the abyss again. His silver cloak lightly tossing in the breeze, his hood covering his celestial skin, but he seemed to be gazing up at the same white star as I had.

My hoof touched an uneven rock, causing it to slip from under hoof and trickle down the rubble. The noise brought Null from his gaze, turning to see who was near and our eyes met once again. I could see his yellow eyes peering from within his hood, his celestial face looking as if millions of galaxies swirled within it.

"Lord of Light…" Null whispered.

"It's just Smolder." I replied.

"... Smolder."

Null bowed his head to me, just as the Void Walkers had done. Although this time it felt like he was thanking me, instead of just showing a form of respect.

"The Void Walkers said you wanted to be alone for a while." I mentioned.

"After what I have done, I cannot see why they would want me around. Even I do not know what I am supposed to do." Null replied.

Null looked rather troubled at the idea of what his purpose was now. Having been the host for such a dark spirit for so long made him wary of even who he was meant to be.

"I am what is left of an ancient power, the heir to a realm made for both Void Walkers and Arcana, but I cannot see how I fit into this design. This, Smolder, is the question I wished to ask, from one ruler to another, how can I be a king when I don't even know who I am?"

I knew of this all too well and I knew of the pony who had put things in perspective for me. I smiled to Null hoping that it would give him some much needed comfort in his doubts.

"Are you planning to abandon all the Void Walkers?" I asked.

"No, I do not."

"Will you try and destroy everything all over again?"

"Of course not."

"Then realize like I have that this is your family now, that everything within your kingdom is your responsibility, and it's your job to protect them from those that wish them harm. Because we, as flame ponies, were given a second chance and now you have yours to do the best that you can with the time that has been given to you."

"My… family?" Null asked.

"Those you care for, that you love, that you would fight for, to protect, to share your life with, and at times… give your life for."

Null touched his chest, knowing that the light of Azimuth is what was used to bring him to life, but it had cost her just as much. Such a light would have faded many years ago if not for the sacrifice of another. A mother of his once greatest enemy, but now savior. He looked to my hooves which had become so cracked from the fires of the Phoenix that they were almost purely fire now.

"Then I shall continue what my… mother had started and give those a second chance that I had struck down in rage."

I didn't really seem to understand what Null had meant, but I witnessed something extraordinary that soon followed.

Null reached up for one of the orbs that hung overhead, taking it gently in his hand and placing it within the sand at his feet. He drew his hands up, forming the sand into a large mound before us, and with breath, that felt like a thousand years of age and knowledge, began to blow the sand away. It fell away leaving a cloaked Void Walker standing before him.

The Void Walker was slow to open its eyes, staring back at its creator in awe of his presence.

"I am Null, the son of Azimuth and Nadir, the last of the Eternal Masters."

"I am Malachi…"

The Void Walker looked at his hands, seemingly in disbelief at what had happened almost as much as I was.

"What… did you do?" I asked curiously.

"The light that Nadir hadtaken, I shall give back to those it had stolen from. I shall make right what has been wronged and create… my family again." Null said.

I dawned on me that all these orbs of light were of the Void Walkers and Arcana that had been consumed by Nadir. Now waiting to be made whole again by the only being in this world that could do such a thing.

Malachi bowed his head low to Nadir, turning to see me, almost surprised by me as well.

"Lord of Light, thank you for coming to us in our darkness." Malachi said.

"S'cool." I replied.

"The others are waiting for you." Null said.

Malachi bowed his head again. Taking his leave, bowing his head several more times to us before making his way out from the ruins of the castle.

"Smolder," Null began. "What you have done, for this world… for me… is something we cannot repay you for."

"You don't have to repay-"

"But perhaps this will come close to what you were searching for."

Null held out his hand to me, a small red flame appeared from his palm that delicately danced in the wind. The color was that of my father's flame.

"What… is…"

"It found its way to me, a fading memory that belonged to your father. One that I believe he wished to share with you before his passing."

I stepped forward towards it. Unsure of what it would bring or show me. I reached out to touch the flame, watching it reach back towards my hoof before our flames connected.

The chamber was faded, darkened by how meager this memory was, but my father stood out with his red flames burning strong. In his arms he held a small foal, one with red flames as well, rocking it gently as it slept.

 _I have to go away now, Smolder. There is something I have to do, something I cannot avoid any longer, but to love someone… sometimes you have to be a stranger._

Scorch placed my infant self back into the stone bassinet, offering one final goodbye in the form of a kiss upon my head. Smiling proudly at his son. My father hesitated to leave, finding it difficult to pull himself away from his son. Reaching down to gently stroke the top my head.

 _Remember to sleep often and eat whenever possible, your duties to the kingdom will deprive you of both. Be confident, yet humble, but never arrogant for many nobles can see the difference easily. This includes mares as well. If you do find yourself in love, never hide things from them, they will always find out, always._

Scorch swallowed hard, finding it hard to say goodbye this way.

 _My reign as king is coming to end, my son, and I am sorry that I'm not going to be there for you. Yet, you are a Phoenix, you will learn to overcome, to rise up to the challenges that you'll face, and I will be watching you every step of the way. My actions will be my own, yet these words are my truth, and I can only hope you believe them. I love you, Smolder. That's all you ever have to know._

This lingering memory faded along with the flame in Null's hand. Having shared with me the only memory my father seemed to have held onto deep down, one the madness could not reach.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

I withdrew my hand from Null, but felt his hand clause around my hoof. He squeezed it tightly, his yellow eyes peering steadily into mine.

"Thank _you_ , Smolder."

I smiled to Null, shaking his hand. As we parted, Null reached up taking another small orb of light from the air and examining it. He seemed occupied with his work and his promise to restore all those that had been destroyed so I thought it best to join up with the others again.

"I'll see around, Null." I said.

"No, you won't."

I stopped short looking back to him in confusion. Null turned towards me looking rather serious in his words.

"I cannot allow this realm to ever threaten your world again. Until I can be certain that this world and all who inhabit it can live in peace, I shall be removing the Obelisks from your world and severing our connection."

I was rather surprised to hear this, somewhere in the back of my mind believing that we would be really strange neighbors or something. Although I felt that this was Null's first decision as ruler of the Realm of Naught and thought it best to respect his wishes.

"I hope that we can… remain friends… even if we are separated." Null added.

"Always." I said.

Null seemed comforted by my assurance, focusing on the orb of light in his hand again.

"When you are ready to leave I shall remove the Obelisks. I wish you the best, Smolder, and I promise that I will be more than nothing."

"You don't have to keep that name anymore, Null. It doesn't have to be what defines you." I said.

"To make something from nothing. To come from Null, is to come from darkness and into the light. This name now has new meaning to me and I will cherish forever."

I smiled again, feeling that Null had come to accept a bit of myself. I watched as he began to create another mound of sand, perhaps another Void Walker coming back from the darkness. I turned to leave knowing that this world would one day be filled again, a second chance to make things work, and I hoped that I would see them again someday.

* * *

It was the turn of the Void Walkers to be rejoicing, for Malachi had returned to them, back from the very depths of darkness and once more walking amongst the living. Asher fell to his knees before his friend. Sorrow, guilt, and happiness having overwhelmed him at once. Yet, Malachi embraced him, offering him the strength to look passed what was and to what could be now.

Yet, the lone Arcana had not been so warmly received. Mira had been shunned by the Void Walkers, even now, at the end of this horror, she was still looked upon as a monster of her own making.

Mira pulled at her fingers, feeling the weight of such claims begin to compound on her. With Nadir no longer a threat, Null providing the means of rebuilding, Mira was left holding the stick for everyone's blame. Those who were being revived would only remember her as the one she pointed to for the Storm to consume. She would not be so easily forgiven even when the truth of the situation were to be explained.

 _"It might be best if you sought exile until your crimes are no longer at the forefront of everyone's mind."_

The words of the Void Walkers echoed in her mind. Her choices were her own, by any means to achieve her goal of defeating Null, and now having to endure the consequences.

Glancing towards the Valley of Shadows, Mira gripped her hands tightly knowing that it would the only place the Void Walkers and Arcana would not willingly visit. It would be the only place she would be tolerated.

The thought of another millennium alone filled her with such misery that she could not help but have tears well in her eyes. Having allowed herself to believe for even a moment that if she had defeated the Storm, everything would go back to the way things were.

Mira opened her mouth without being able to say any words. Every time she tried, she could feel herself wanting to cry and thought better of it.

"Mira?"

Turning with a start, Mira found her flame pony standing behind her with every other pony just a ways off watching them curiously.

"I-I-I guess this is goodbye then, huh?" Mira said quickly.

I didn't need to know how Mira was feeling, her pain was so blatant that she forced herself to hide it.

"Mira-"

"We made a pretty good team, didn't we? But now that you've kept your promise you should be getting back to your stupid friends in your stupid castle."

Even Mira's insults were lacking any real feeling.

"You're welcome… to come with us, Mira." I offered. "With me."

Tears fell from Mira's eyes at these simple words. Her face was wracked with such grief that these kind words seemed to nearly break her in that moment. Struggling to wipe away her tears, Mira laughed loudly at the idea.

"Me? Hangout with you ponies? With Princess Prissy and the hussy? I don't think so."

"Then just stay with me." I insisted.

Mira clutched her arms, trying hard to hold back her feelings and turning to look away from her flame pony.

"I belong here, Smolder."

"I made you a promise, Mira."

This had Mira turning back looking at me in disbelief over what I had just said.

"You already saved us, Smolder." Mira replied.

"My promise was to save _you_."

I approached Mira, offering her my hoof as she stared at me with such woeful eyes.

"Don't go. Stay with me."

Mira reached out for my hand, but gently pushed it back. I watched as she floated away from me, clutching her arms once again and unable to stop herself from crying.

"I didn't deserve a friend like you, Smolder."

"Yes! Yes you-"

Before I could urge her to reconsider, her black flames engulfed her and vanished from my sight. I lowered my head feeling my heart sink low knowing that even now Mira still could not forgive herself. Choosing to stay here in isolation to atone for what she had done. It ate me up inside knowing that even though I had saw my promise through, I still was not able to save her.

Returning to the others I could see their sympathetic smiles for my attempts to reach her. I gave them a smile of my own, knowing that it spoke of disappointment and regret for not being able to help her.

* * *

Mira's black flames appeared near the edge of the Valley of Shadows. Tears still falling from her eyes she wiped them away as best she could trying hard to forget what Smolder had offered her.

"Stupid… flame pony…" Mira mumbled.

"But a kind one."

Mira turned with a start to find Null standing a few feet behind her. Her reaction was of genuine terror at first, but it was quickly replaced with relief with the knowledge that he was no longer being used by Nadir.

"I'm… going away for a while." Mira mumbled.

"Yes, you are." Null agreed.

"You won't be seeing me at all, no one will, and it might be best that it stays that way."

"Agreed."

Mira took a deep breath, looking out in the darkness of the valley before gathering up the courage to enter. Before she could, Null took a sudden grasp of her hand and stopped her from leaving.

Turning to look at him once again. Null was offering her his first real smile. One that mirrored Azimuth's so long ago.

"You had once challenged the whole of this realm for my life, begging for it to be spared, and being unable to stop them from sending me into this darkness. I now beg for yours and I ask that you do not go running back to the darkness that has so long held us. Run towards the light so that we begin to heal… at last."

It was hard for Mira to argue this. It was even harder for her to admit. She turned her head, refusing to let Null see her cry, but it was enough for him to let her hand go.

"My purpose is here. Yours I feel… rests with a different light. One that came to you when you called to. It calls to you even now. Perhaps that light will fade even just a little if it's shadow is there to help it see how bright it's become."

* * *

Everypony was wary of walking through the portal without me being the first to go through, but I had stayed back to take one last look at Null. Standing upon the edge of the world, surrounded by hundreds of stars, Null raised his hand to wave goodbye to me. I waved back, knowing that he was about to rebuild his own world just as we had started to do with ours and that this would be our last of seeing one another.

With only Princess Celestia and my brothers waiting for me to step through I turned from Null ready to return home. Princess Celestia, Pyre and Wick we're crossing through the threshold of the portal with me just a step behind them.

Null raised his hands high over his head, clapping them together as the Obelisks from our side began to disintegrate into clouds of black smoke. The portal weakened quickly, I had already stepped through into Equestria as the portal snapped closed one final time and formed the small black orb over the fields before fizzling away forever.

I stared up at the sky where the orb had hung. Everypony seemed to stare as I did, reflecting on everything that had happened, what we had left behind and what we had brought with us.

As I lowered my head I noticed a trail of blue stardust like hair gently floating in the breeze. Mira hovered before me, her arms tightly wrapped around her, almost refusing to look at me, aside from small glances she had from the corner of her eye.

"Hello," Mira mumbled. "You stupid… flame pony."

I had never been happier to have been called stupid in all my life. I hugged Mira immediately feeling her recoil from how quick I was to embrace her.

"You _deserve_ to be happy, Mira." I whispered to her. "Even if it's with a stupid flame pony."

I could feel Mira's arms wrap around my neck. Embracing me tightly as she buried her face into my shoulder.

"Thank you." Mira mumbled.

Princess Celestia had been first to notice my sudden display of affection, having realized that Mira had decided to come with us after all. It was quickly dawning on everypony that Mira had changed her mind at the last second and was rather happy to have her here. Deep down I knew Mira had allowed herself the smallest of chances, to take a leap of faith and had forgiven herself enough to make a choice that would ultimately be for her own benefit. One that wasn't out of anger or revenge, but one of healing.

"Let me be the first to welcome you to Equestria, Mira." Princess Celestia said warmly.

Mira pulled out of the hug, crossing her arms and looking rather annoyed.

"You're a real mood killer, aren't you, Princess Prissy?" Mira asked.

Princess Celestia looked rather offended. "I beg your pardon?"

" _I have to be the center of attention, or else how is everypony going to known I'm so big and important?"_ Mira mocked.

Princess Celestia and Mira were already having a heated argument, I smiled at the thought of this being a common occurrence with most ponies she'd meet. All in all, I was more than ecstatic to have Mira with us again.

"Smolder?"

My head turned sharply. Tea stood just a few steps away, her face slick from tears, and in her arms she carried a unlit lantern. I walked over to her, smiling all the while, receiving the warmest of smiles from her as she tried hard not to start crying again.

"Welcome back." Tea said.

"I have so much I want to tell you." I said. "And so much I need to thank you for."

Tea's face flushed at these words. Finding it best to hold out her lantern to me, hoping to distract me with it and not see how embarrassed she was.

"If you could…" Tea began.

I carefully took the lantern from her with my magic. Opening the small glass door before blowing a small flame into the oil dish within. The lantern was lit once again, Tea looking very pleased with it and was beaming at me.

I was home again.


	72. Chapter 72: Last Goodbye

Blades of grass had begun to spring from the ground, giving the Ashen Fields the faintest color of green it had seen in decades. A month had come and gone like faintest summer breeze. The events within the Kingdom of Naught had all but become a memory to most. While to others it had become the newest best selling novel by A.K. Yearling titled: Daring Do and the Phoenix King.

Wingston limped his way to the edge of the Dark Marsh, roughly the same spot where he was found so many years ago. Reaching the tree line Wingston lowered himself to the ground before resting up against a tree and letting his staff lean against his shoulder.

Taking a few deep breaths, surprised at how difficult the trip to this spot had become, Wingston closed his eyes for a moment letting the stillness of the world wash over him.

Distant voices had easily reached Wingston's ears, rousing him from his rest and seeing Smolder and friends off in the distance speaking rather loudly with one another.

"An academy for magic will not allow 'Shadow Magic' or 'Black Magic' of any kind. It's simply out of the question." Princess Sapphire stated. "Your role as apprenticeship to Royal Adviser does not grant you the power to make such decisions."

Wingston could make out Princess Sapphire, Mira, Smolder, and the Twins, as they were inspecting the potential sight of a magical academy for the Ashen Fields.

"Fine. Be a frigid little snow pony and go make your own academy in the frozen ice cube up north. This is _flame pony_ territory and it's their academy. You don't get to make the rules either, hussy." Mira mocked her.

"You want to have a go, Imp?"

"I'd hate to embarrass you in front of all these ponies when I'm kicking your big flank up and down the block!"

Wingston could already see Smolder trying to defuse the situation between the two of them. A smile creeped across Wingston's face knowing that Smolder was going to have his hooves full with just the two of them.

" _Everything is back to normal."_ Wingston thought to himself.

" _In no small part thanks to you."_

These words were spoken by a voice Wingston had not heard in many years. Looking over his shoulder, Wingston's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Lady Sunbeam resting beside him watching the commotion unfold as well.

"My… my Lady…" Wingston whispered.

Lady Sunbeam turned her head, beaming at Wingston.

" _Hello, my old friend."_

"How... is this possible?" Wingston asked in a whisper.

 _"I think you know."_

Wingston found himself looking back towards Smolder and the others, their voices still carrying, antics still ongoing, but it felt so very far away now.

"There is still so much to do, my Lady. Surely you can see that."

 _"My dear Wingston, you have done more than what has ever been asked of you. You have kept your promises and ensured the future of every flame pony. And…"_

Wingston looked back to Glow, she bore a smile that was filled with gratitude and love.

 _"And you saved my children. I cannot ask anymore of you."_

Lady Glow lifted her hoof and placed it over Wingston's wing. There was a warmth to it, a weight that made Wingston know that this was real.

"But… Smolder…"

 _"Everything ends, Wingston. You have taught Smolder a great many things, and now it is time that he learns the most important lesson of all. To let go."_

Looking back towards Smolder and the others, Wingston felt a swell of emotions run through him, but the last one that hit the hardest was pride.

"I hope he knows how proud I am to have been his mentor."

 _"You were his father, Wingston."_

The blue of the sky bled to earth below, the subtle green of the grass began to saturate to a bright white. Wingston could still see the smiling face of his friend, his king, of his son before closing his eyes and smiling.

 _"I'm ready."_

Opening his eyes Wingston found himself standing on pure starlight. Seeing the energy of the cosmos rolling over head. Lady Glow stood beside him, her wing reaching down to him to have him take it. Wingston reached for her wing and stopped short. His torn wing was whole once more, the aches and pains of standing upon his claws had vanished, and found himself adorned in a cloak of silver light.

"Shall we?" Glow offered.

"Where are we going?" Wingston asked.

"To meet an old friend of ours, he wanted to be the one to guide you here, but I felt he just wanted your advice on how to apologize for being such a insufferable, moronic, egotistical jerk." Glow replied in sort of dead panned tone.

Wingston laughed to himself knowing exactly who she spoke of.

"Has Lord Scorch tried speaking with you, my Lady?" Wingston asked.

"Oh he's tried. I'm just not speaking to him." Glow replied.

"Perhaps I can offer him some advice?" Wingston suggested.

"I expect one hay of an apology from him, Wingston, and I don't want to hear 'the dragon made me do it' nonsense."

Wingston had to laugh again. Walking alongside Lady Glow, approaching an event horizon where all manner of energy and light convened.

"His first step is to talk things over and if that doesn't work he will just have to try again. Hopefully you'll come to forgive him in time." Wingston said.

Together Lady Glow and Wingston disappeared into the light.

* * *

I was attempting to hold back Mira, who was desperately trying to claw off Sapphire's face, while Sapphire kept making offhand remarks about Mira's temper. Wick and Pyre were merely placing bets on who would actually win the fight and if I would end up being the one who got the worst of it.

"We haven't even started building the school yet, so can't you two just hold off on trying to kill each other until we actually have a curriculum in place?" I asked.

"Fine!" Sapphire and Mira shouted together.

I heaved a sigh watching Mira and Sapphire glare at one another before going their separate ways. I had a feeling that this was going to be a constant thing between them.

Shadows darted across the ground around us. The Royal Air Force ponies were having their daily set of drills high over head. It was enough to distract me from the academy drama to notice how lively the Fields has become.

I looked out towards the Narrows and the First District seeing flame and ice pony alike socializing with one another. What stood out more than anything were the smiles from every flame pony, the warmth that could be felt from everypony, and it felt as though we had finally let ourselves move on from the past. That we had at last found peace in ourselves again.

Distressed shouting had gotten my attention. Ray Horizon and several soldier ponies were near the edge of the Dark Marsh crowding near a tree. The Twins were already rushing over to see what the problem was while Mira and Princess Sapphire flew off to figure out what was going on.

The soldier ponies had taken take off towards the castle before noticing the Twins and stopped short to meet with them. I could see Wingston nestled at the base of a tree with Ray's hoof gently touching his shoulder. Wingston's staff slipped from his shoulder and dropped against the grass. Many ponies were quickly rushing back to me, hurrying back to find a way to tell me what I already knew. Wingston was gone.

The funeral had been attended by hundreds upon hundreds of dignitaries and noble ponies. All of which had taken council with Wingston, had conversation or debates with. Many had mutual respect for the crippled bat that had come from so little and had given so much. None knew this better than the flame ponies of the Ashen Fields.

A statue had been commissioned to honor Wingston, one that was near his actual size, but placed on a pedestal so that he would be at eye level with any pony that saw it. It was carved out of pure obsidian, a chunk that had been from one of the destroyed walls of Castle Char, forever immortalizing him with the very kingdom he had served.

A flame pony funeral is not marked by words or speeches, but by how quiet the kingdom becomes at their passing. There has only ever been a few passings that have silenced the whole of the kingdom, but those were of Kings and Queens, but Wingston seemed to have silenced nearly all of Equestria.

When a flame pony passes on, all that is left is ashes, and those ashes are scattered however the family sees fit. For Wingston, his being still remained, a small pyre built to allow him the same rites of flame pony passage into the next life where one's energy is forever joined with that of the universe.

Even in this silence, words needed to be spoken, feelings needed to be shared, and dozens upon dozens of ponies wished to share their stories of Wingston. Even Spike had the courage to speak of his memories of Wingston and it brought many to tears.

Wingston's ashes were gathered by the only family he had ever known, Smolder and the Twins walking together to the ruins of the volcano to scatter his ashes with the rest of their ancestors.

Upon their return the Hadron Bell tolled several times, a honor reserved for the passing of royalty, and it rang deep for a Wingston. All that remained was the final embers of the pyre that once held Wingston. These embers were brought to the obsidian statue where an eternal flame was to be erected at the base of the statue to signify the fire that had burned in Wingston's heart. The fire of a true flame pony.

The statue had been placed at the edge of the Dark Marsh, the spot where Wingston had first appeared to them, and the place where he had left them. It was far from the Kingdom, but overlooked it in its entirety. The grieving sadness everypony felt was only compounded with the Smolder standing before this statue of Wingston, having placed the embers in the basin hours ago, but refused to move from it.

A break of thunder rolled across the sky, drawing many to look up. Rain clouds were drifting in overhead. A raindrop drop plucked against the ground, followed by another, and several others raced after. Hundreds of Unicorn ponies created large magical domes to shield flame pony and friends alike from the rain. Princess Celestia had shielded the Twins from the rain with her own magic while looking towards Princess Luna who had shielded Flare and Ray.

"I thought Cloudsdale said it was going to have clear skies today?" Princess Celestia questioned quietly.

"They did, but I don't think it is their doing." Princess Luna whispered.

Rain was beginning to fall steadily now. Everypony could see that Smolder had not shielded himself from the rain. Watching the raindrops sizzle off his fire, droplets running off his arms before evaporating away. Princess Sapphire moved towards Smolde but felt her father place a firm hoof on her shoulder.

"Let him be, Sapphire." Lord Tundra whispered.

"But the rain-" Sapphire began.

"Is the last thing he's feeling right now."

Lady Frost put her arms around Sapphire, hugging her tightly as to ensure her that her father was right. Sapphire leaned against her mother, feeling tears beginning to well on their own as she watched Smolder wince every now and again knowing it wasn't from the rain.

I felt the raindrops run across my face, trickling down my sides of my cheeks as I cried and cried. Knowing that this was as close as I'd ever come to feeling what it was to shed a tear from the pain I was feeling, for the emptiness that I felt inside, and that it was for losing someone close to me again.

"... goodbye… Dad…"


	73. Chapter 73: The Road Ahead

It had been almost a week since Wingston had been laid to rest and Smolder had spent much of it in his room. The Twins were attending to his duties as King for the time being, allowing their brother the time he needed to come to terms with it. He had been visited by Prince Rutherford, Princess Sheva, the Duke, Princess Celestia, and even Discord attempting to console the grieving fire king, but they were all met with the same hollow smile he shared with them.

For everything that was to be said had been said. Everypony knee what Wingston had meant to him, what he had done for him, and not even Tea nor Sapphire could bring Smolder from his quiet seclusion and it began to worry many ponies.

Each day seemed to bring Smolder further and further away from them. Showing less and less willingness to do anything, having completely closed himself off to everypony and perhaps everything.

* * *

"Luna, what have you discovered from Smolder's dreams? Have you tried to approach him?" Princess Celestia asked.

Princess Celestia was having a luncheon with Shining Armor, Lady Cadance, and Princess Luna at a quaint little cafe that had just opened shop in Canterlot. The owners had written to Princess Celestia, hoping she would review one of their drinks, but got three princesses and a prince as well.

It wasn't just an excuse to get out of her royal duties for a couple of hours, but also the chance to discuss their growing concern for Smolder.

"My attempts to reach him have been met with extreme difficulty. His magic is out of flux, the Phoenix within Smolder is protecting him by detouring me towards the memories of past kings. I do not think he is any serious danger, but his solitude is greatly unhealthy." Princess Luna reported.

"We need to get him out of his room. We could throw a carnival, or perhaps some sort of party. Something that will get him to come out." Princess Cadance suggested.

"Your asking Smolder to _not_ think about Wingston. His only father figure and friend for most of his life. It would be asking any of us to let go of each other. He's just going to have to work this out on his own." Shining Armor argued.

"But that doesn't mean we can't try and help him. We're his friends after all." Princess Luna countered.

"I want to help him get through this as well, but I have no idea what I could possibly say or do that will make any of this better." Shining Armor said. "Forcing it may just be worse and as his friend I don't want to be the one who pushes this too far."

Princess Celestia sighed in defeat. The passing of Wingston had hit her rather hard as well. Their time together had always been business as usual, but for some brief moments they were able to be themselves and open up to one another.

"Please keep yourselves available if Smolder calls upon any of you for support. I'm forced to reside to the fact that we are unable to much more then be there for him if need be." Princess Celestia requested.

* * *

I sat next to the doorway to the balcony of my room. My eyes were not focused on anything in particular, my thoughts were pouring over every last encounter I had with Wingston up until he left. Wondering where I could have hugged him again, where I could have told him how much he meant to me, where I could have spent another couple minutes with him, and seemed like I had all the time in the world to do these things.

Every part of me felt heavy, I had no energy to move all that much, and I always felt tired. I could not stop thinking about what our last real conversation had been, having chatted several times about meaningless things, but never having the heart to heart I so craves now.

The jingle of metal reached my ears, the thud of metal against stone soon followed. It was Wingston's staff prodding the ground, the metal rings dancing around the circular head piece. I turned around in an instant, not believing that it was actually somehow Wingston who had come back to see me.

What I saw was Mira, fiddling with Wingston's staff, prodding it a few times against the ground to test its durability. Wingston's staff the only thing Wingston truly owned, the only thing I had to remember him by, and I had brought it in here to keep it safe. Just seeing Mira casually mess with it made my fire burn hot.

"Put it down." I hissed.

Mira looked over to me, looking rather confused. "What? This thing?"

"Yes, that."

Mira let it drop from her hand, the metal staff striking the floor before rattling against the stone from the tremors. I felt my fire flare at the carelessness she showed to it.

"Pick it up!" I shouted.

"Put it down, pick it up. What am I your maid?" Mira mocked.

I made a move to grab it myself but Mira's shadow magic had thrown it back up to her. She carried it high over her head, almost parading around the room with it as if to taunt me.

"Give it back!" I demanded.

"Or what?"

"Just give it to me!"

"Ah, did I upset the poor wittle flame pony?"

I made a wild lunge at it, Mira pulled it away at the last moment, continuing to taunt me with it. My fire flared angrily, my flash step sparking for a moment as I lunged again getting my mouth around it and pulling hard to rip it from her. Mira held on tight to it, fighting me and refusing to let go.

"If you want this stupid stick, you're going to have to take it from me you stupid excuse for a flame pony!"

Mira and I wrestled with the staff for a time. I hadn't realized how weak I had become from not eating or getting enough sleep. Mira was able to fend off most of my forceful tugs still refusing to let it go.

My horn flared with magic, taking a hold of the staff while letting go of it with my mouth. I had a better chance of taking it from her with my magic than I did with brute strength.

"I'm not going to ask you again! Give it to me, Mira!" I shouted angrily.

"Or what?"

I didn't want to say something I'd regret, even if I didn't feel it at the time, and I certainly didn't want to hurt her. I struggled to pull it away from her, but watched as Mira's body became engulfed with black fire before ripping it away from me.

I stumbled to the floor, having lost this tug of war, breathing hard at my exhaustion and feeling myself become overwhelmed with emotions. I felt like a little foal again, like during the times my brothers had taken my rock and I could not get it back. Mira has taken the only thing I had left of Wingston from me and all I could do now was cry.

"It hurts… doesn't it?"

I could hear Mira's voice crack from her own emotions taking over. Looking up at her in pathetic state I could see that she too was beginning to cry.

"Losing… the people you love… and not being able to do anything to stop it. Trying to hold on… to anything… to feel close to them."

Tears were now running freely down Mira's face. She clutched the staff in her arms, floating down to me. Sitting in front of me she reached out her hand and placed it on my head to try and comfort me.

"I'm sorry he's gone, Smolder. But we're still here, those of us that depend on you, that care about you, that… love…"

Mira dropped the staff. It clattered to the ground as she covered her face with her hands trying to rub away her tears.

"You may still _want_ Wingston around, but we _need_ you, Smolder. This Kingdom needs you, your brothers need you, your friends, you ponies, and I… I need you. Please don't… leave us too."

Wingston was a huge part of my life, a part that spanned my earliest childhood to just a couple days ago. He didn't have to be there for me, to raise me, to guide me, but he did it because he felt responsible for me. Now I was responsible for everything and everypony in this Kingdom, including my own actions, and I had let myself become too depressed for far too long.

Leaning into Mira, I let my head rest against hers. Feeling her arms wrap around my head and hug me tightly trying to offer me the comfort I needed to let these feelings of pain pass. In a way, they had. I felt disappointed in myself, having worried everypony, but all I needed was some advice from a good friend.

"Thank you, Mira. For reminding me about who I am."

Mira was still wiping her eyes when she noticed the staff being held out to her by my magic. She was hesitant. Looking to me in surprise.

"Wingston would have wanted you to have this. To keep me in check."

Mira was slow to take it from me.

"My father believed that Wingston would be a worthy Advisor, one who would ensure the future of our Kingdom. So I'm asking you, Mira, will you become _my_ advisor and help me ensure the future of our kingdom?"

Mira took a firm hold of the staff. Beneath the tears I could see a look of confidence and reassurance of the task being asked of her.

"Do I get to hit you with this staff?" Mira asked.

"If I ever do something stupid." I remarked.

"I wholeheartedly accept this position."

Mira was not as charismatic or sociable as Wingston was, although her powers would be her strength and her pain the drive needed to keep this kingdom safe from harm.

Glancing towards the royal chamber doors, I knew I'd be starting the next chapter of my life without Wingston to help me along.

"I suppose I've spent enough time feeling sorry for myself." I muttered.

"Everyone will happy to see you up and about again." Mira encouraged me.

Crossing the room to the doors I knew that beyond this threshold was the whole of flame pony civilization, every friend I had, and the support of all my colleagues waiting for me.

Stepping through the doors of my royal chambers I felt my heart begin to race, knowing that from here on out I would be honoring everything Wingston had stood for. Which meant that I would carry Wingston's teachings and ideals into the future, and that he was trusting me to be the King he always believed me to be.

Reaching the landing of the staircase, just outside the throne room doors I stood at the top step looking out over the Great Hall and seeing all manner of flame and ice pony about. Heads were suddenly turning towards the top the stairs, their eyes upon me with happiness and yet sympathy. I knew they were looking to me for a multitude of reasons, looking to see if their King had overcome this great tragedy.

With a flourish of my fire, the raise of my wings, I smiled wide for everypony to see. My smile seemed infectious as it spread across the Great Hall, applause had begun, some cheers from others as I descended the staircase.

I felt Mira land upon my back, hitching a ride with _her_ staff resting against her shoulder. She smiled wide for me, knowing that this was our first step in creating the future we had all fought hard for.

My name is Smolder Phoenix, son of the Mighty King Scorch and the Loving Queen Glow. Younger brother to the fearsome twins Wick and Pyre. I was raised by the Wingston of the Dark Marsh, my friend, my mentor, and my father. This is where his story ended, but mine is just beginning.

The End


End file.
